The Choice is Yours - 127th Hunger Games
by teampeeta1227
Summary: "All of the supplies, the water, everything, is at the Cornucopia. Nothing is scattered around like it usually is. You either go to the Cornucopia to get supplies but risk death or get an almost certain survival but absolutely no protection. Neither decision is great, but in the end… the choice is mine." 127th Hunger Games. The rebellion failed. All new tributes. Read and review!
1. Chapter 1 - Introduction

Chapter 1

No POV

The Head Gamemaker, Abraham Springle, watches the recap of the reapings for the 127th Hunger Games in his red velvet chair in his massive office. He strokes his foot-long beard and turns off the TV, or, rather, the projection on his beige wall. Slowly, an evil grin creeps onto his face. "Another year of entertainment begins," he murmurs to himself, and with that grin lasting, Abraham walks out of the office, down the hall, and to the President's office (which is even more giant than his own), knocks on the door, and begins a long chat with the President about this year's crop of tributes.

President Duke has a list of the tributes, their ages, and small notes about them. He would go on to keep this list, use it for the arena, even to give to the Gamemakers to see how to torture the children as much as possible. He believes that seeing people's reactions when they are reaped says a lot about a person. After all, a true victor wouldn't sob their eyes out if they were reaped. They would consider it an honor to represent their district, to take part in their country's tradition. Right?

These Games didn't seem like they were any different than normal. It was easy to tell the strong ones from the weak ones. After the little discussion between Abraham and President Duke, they both take a catapult ride to the Betting Building, a place where, of course, people made bets for the Hunger Games victor. Even though the reapings had just ended less than an hour ago, the main lobby was already packed with hundreds of Capitol residents ready to support a tribute. Of course, it was illegal for the Head Gamemaker to place bets, because he could control the arena, but the President could, and as one might expect, he decided to support the muscular 18-year old volunteer from District 2. It wasn't a surprise to anyone that he was the favorite to win. That was how the Hunger Games was supposed to work, wasn't it?

All of the Capitol citizens fell asleep in their designer, king-sized beds that night in a good mood. The festivities had only begun – the tributes were on the trains, soon to arrive in the Capitol. That was where the real fun would begin – the Tribute Parade, the training scores, the interviews – and, of course, the best part of all – the Games themselves. It was going to be another exciting year.

At about 2:00 a.m., an Avox girl named Angelina crept into President Duke's office. She was annoyed because the President had woken her up and ordered her to get the coffee that he had left in his office before. Was her really that lazy, that he couldn't get up and walk down the hall? It was his fault anyway, for leaving it in there. As Angelina picks up the coffee, she sees a piece of paper on President Duke's desk and decides to read it after making sure no one was watching her. It was the President's notes on the reaping. Since Angelina was an Avox and she didn't get the privilege of watching the recap, she decided to read it.

_Tributes of the 127__th__ Hunger Games_

_District 1: Jamal Gold (17) and Amethyst Diamond (also 17). Both good-looking volunteers, could be threats._

_District 2: Dallas Woods (18) and Alicia Swords (17). Dallas looks like a potential victor, and Alicia looks as if she would definitely give him a run for his money. Lots of people will bet on both of them._

_District 3: Hunter Albert (14) and Jade Scorpion (16). Worthless, as usual. District 3 hasn't had a victor in 35 years, after all, and that's the way it should be. Both will probably be killed in the bloodbath._

_District 4: Jaymes Current (18) and Arielle Scales (13). These two are total opposites – Jaymes looks strong enough to do very well, and Arielle looks scared to death. I expect she won't be allowed into the Career alliance._

_District 5: Bennett Switch (16) and Poppy Light (15). Eh. Boring. They both look like they would be useless with weapons, but they are skinny and look like they would be fast, at least._

_District 6: Aidan Sprint (17) and McKayla Carr (15). Aidan could end up being a threat – he looks strong and he's one of the few tributes that don't break down crying when they're reaped. The girl is nothing special._

_District 7: Graham Axel (16) and Hazel Almond (16). The girl is an emotional wreck and it looks like the boy volunteered to go in to protect her. It looks like they're dating. That's a definite alliance there._

_District 8: Phoenix Thread (14) and Raven Silk (16). The boy looks positively worthless but at least the girl is not crying – the crying is getting old._

_District 9: Hayden Fields (13) and Willow Farmer (14). They are two young, small tributes. Looks like District 9 will keep their 38-year losing streak going._

_District 10: Austin Stocker (16) and Celeste Rodriguez (15). The boy looks decently strong but the girl looks insane. The Peacekeepers have to drag her into the Justice Building because she's screaming._

_District 11: Denver Roots (18) and Lilac Rosen (12). They are another pair of opposites. Denver is big and someone to watch out for, but the girl can't be more than 4 feet, 8 inches tall._

_District 12: Leo Green (17) and Stella Canary (15). The boy is average, completely emotionless while Stella, the girl, is trying not to cry. At least she's holding it together somewhat._

_People to bet on: Jamal, Dallas, Alicia, Jaymes, Aidan, Denver_

Angelina realizes, like she does every year, that 23 of these people are going to die within the next month. She vows to herself not to watch the parade or the scores or the interviews, and definitely not the Games. She knows that she will get too attached to a tribute or two and that when they die, it will be unbearable to watch. She won't let that happen again, like it has happened too many times in her life. She makes a promise to herself to stay strong, even though she hates the Games, hates the Capitol for doing this, because she knows full well that it's wrong.

Angelina hears footsteps. She quickly puts the paper down, grabs the coffee, and walks out of the office to deliver it. She dreads the next couple weeks.


	2. Chapter 2 - Arriving at the Capitol

**I know the last chapter was really boring, but hopefully this will be more interesting... Don't lose your faith in the story, it will get a lot better! I am setting up a poll on my page so you can vote for your favorite tributes.**

Chapter 2

Willow Farmer (14) from District 9's POV

I want to die now. I don't want to go into an arena full of people whose purpose is to kill everyone else, including me. I have absolutely no chance of winning. I know this, because I'm small, young, and have zero knowledge of survival or killing. But I have to try.

I am trying to win this for my family. They are starving back home, working all day. I am the oldest of 6 children, and the only way I can protect them is to win. If I win, we will have enough money and food to last for the rest of our lives. But if I don't win, they will have to fend for themselves because I am basically the main provider for them. Yes, I am familiar with the 'Hunger' part of the Hunger Games, but that doesn't give me any advantage whatsoever. The least I can do is hope that I can hide up in a tree somewhere and sleep through the whole Games while everyone else kills each other.

Oh, who am I kidding? There is NO CHANCE. No chance at all. I sigh and focus on right now. I am on the train, which I will say, is amazing. I haven't talked to my district partner (or anyone else, for that matter) since we left the Justice Building, after saying goodbye to my family. There was not a dry eye in that room. Anyway, though, my crazy escort (her name is Natasha Sparkle, which fits her) tells me that we are only about a half hour away from the Capitol. Oh joy.

Aidan Sprint (17) from District 6's POV

I don't know what to think at all. Part of me is devastated that I got chosen because I don't exactly want to kill people or be killed, but everyone in the Games ends up doing one or the other. I know that hiding won't help, because the President and the Gamemakers won't let that happen. The point of the Games isn't to have a victor that won by not killing anyone. The whole idea of it is to kill people. So, basically, if you refuse to kill, the Gamemakers will just kill you instead. I've seen it happen.

So, I make the straightaway decision to kill. I'm not comfortable with the choice, but I must do what I have to do to survive. I know I am capable of killing, as I am one of the few in District 6 that has training experience. I am competent with a sword, because I could afford fighting lessons. My family was one of the wealthier ones in District 6, but 'wealthy' there would be considered 'extremely poor' in the Capitol. This is confirmed when my train arrives.

We pass our living quarters, a six-story building made of bricks painted bright blue. "So all the tributes live there?" my district partner, McKayla, asks my escort, whose name I haven't bothered learning.

The escort bursts into laughter. "You think all the tributes would fit there? That's just for you two, me, your mentor, your stylists, and your prep teams. It will be a tight fit, I apologize; you two tributes might have to share a floor."

McKayla and I share a glance. Share a floor? Back home, I had to share a room with my brother because we didn't have enough space to add another room for him. And we were considered rich.

I might actually look forward to my stay here if I didn't know that in a week, I would be thrown to my death.

Amethyst Diamond (17) from District 1's POV

When my escort announced that Jamal and I had to share a floor, I was fuming. One of the main reasons I volunteered was so I could experience the royal treatment! I was expecting at least a floor to myself, and I can't believe I have to share a building with 11 other people! After all, it's only six stories. The food better be good, and if it's not, I volunteered for nothing. I guess the Capitol's not as luxurious as everyone says it is.

I also hate the fact that the girl gets reaped before the boy. It's honestly really annoying because it means if I were to volunteer (or get picked) I wouldn't know who my district partner was. I wouldn't have volunteered if I knew I would have to go in with Jamal. He's not even cute! So, as of now, I can't fake a relationship with him to get attention and sponsors because, honestly, that would just be really embarrassing for me.

We arrive at our living quarters, which is also where we are prepped to look good for the parade this evening. I am taken into a room on the third floor, where I'm supposed to meet my prep team. I almost faint when I walk in. Ew! The walls are white, the floor and ceiling are white, and everything in the room is white! These Capitol people have absolutely no taste.

I only have to wait about a minute before my prep team walks in. I did think there would be more than three people, but that's okay. They are three fashionable (which comes as a shock, considering everything else I've seen) women, each with bright-colored skin and hair. They seem to be the only people I've met so far that actually appreciate me.

I've come to the conclusion that when I win the Games with my beauty and charm, I will live in the Capitol. Who needs District 1? Even though the Capitol isn't as fabulous as I thought it would be, it's still better than back home. But if I do win, I will probably fake a sickness on the Victory Tour. I do not want to visit those filthy districts when I could be relaxing in a spa down at the Capitol.

My prep team finishes putting highlights in my hair (yay!) when they start to take my nail polish off. "What are you doing?" I scream at them. "I just got a manicure yesterday, now you completely wasted it! Don't tell me you're going to get rid of the pedicure, too!" I can't believe they're doing this to me!

"I'm sorry, miss," says a girl with green skin and pink hair. "We had to take off the polish; it won't match the tribute parade outfit. The new manicure will be even better than the old one." Wow, I love her accent! That will be something I will have to pick up when I win.

A different girl, one with blue skin and purple hair, starts painting my nails a sparkly silver color, and when she's finished with that, she glues diamond-looking jewels all over them. "Diamonds! Like my last name!" I exclaim.

She smiles. "Yes, we did that on purpose. Be careful, the diamonds are real." Finally, something that meets my expectations!

The woman that took off my nail polish says, "Okay, I think that's good. It's time for you to meet Maya, your stylist."

I have been waiting for this moment for so long! I hope my parade outfit is sparkly like my nails. Maybe it will even be covered in real diamonds! That would be one happy thing that happened in my life.

Austin Stocker (16) from District 10's POV

The last thing I want to do right now is to be in the tribute parade. My stylist is a complete idiot, and I can't help but feel very sorry for myself, and Celeste. This is because we are dressed in cow suits. Literally.

This is a very stupid decision, because

1) I can't see at all because of the mask.

2) I'm actually decently strong; I have muscle, but you can't see it at all because of the whole suit thing.

3) Do people actually think that we're going to get sponsors wearing this? Cows aren't exactly the most vicious animals.

Whatever chance I had of winning, it's gone now.

I step onto the chariot. Celeste is already there, looking identical to me. It just now sparks in my mind that people aren't even going to be able to tell which cow is me and which cow is Celeste.

My time as a tribute is off to a great start.

I've talked to Celeste a couple times. I didn't really know her before we got reaped. Now I know that she lost both of her parents in an animal accident five years ago. She didn't have any siblings, and she was already poor, so she was basically taking care of herself and starving for five years. That's why she was so upset when she got reaped – she was saying the devil is out to get her because everything bad that you could even imagine had already happened to her, and then this. I heard that no one even came to say goodbye to her at the Justice Building.

Because of this, I want to be allies with her. I want an ally in the arena, and I feel sorry for Celeste because I know she'll never survive in the Games by herself. Besides, if we work together, maybe we can bring a victor back home to District 10. How great would that be? Our district hasn't won the Hunger Games, at least for as long as I've lived. Maybe this year will be different.

My attention drifts back to the Tribute Parade as the President welcomes us and salutes us for our "bravery". It's not like we chose to be here. President Duke finishes up his little speech, and he announces that it's time for the parade to begin. And trust me, I am not very excited. Okay, fine, I'm not excited at all.


	3. Chapter 3 - The Tribute Parade

**Ah! This chapter is my favorite so far - it's long and exciting - ish! The poll is set up now, btw. Keep on reading!**

Chapter 3

Poppy Light (15) from District 5's POV

The chariot ride was exhilarating. Even though the situation isn't all that great, the parade did bring a little joy to my day. Just a little. It's nice to ride on an animal in a costume and have people from all over screaming your name. I don't think I've ever had that much fun.

Lots of people hate attention, hate when people applaud them or point in awe. As for me, I've always loved being in the spotlight. I would consider myself very outgoing. This is a good thing and a bad thing – I would always be the person that teachers would pick to show the new kids around and get to know them, but I was also the one that would get in trouble for talking in class all the time.

I also sang. I was a singer and a dancer – I taught myself everything I knew about performing. Everyone else in my family was super smart and shy, and I wasn't like that at all. I didn't exactly fit in with them.

Since I spent all of my free time singing and dancing, I also did the school musicals. (We lived on the "richer" – although we were far from rich – side of the district, so we could afford to perform in shows.) I was in five, and I got the lead in three of them. The cast became my family – I was closer to them than I was to my real family.

When I got reaped, the whole cast came to say goodbye to me – everyone that's ever done a school musical. We all cried and they said that all the shows would be incomplete without me. I guess they know that I have no chance of surviving.

On the other hand, when my mom, dad, and brothers came to visit me, we got into a huge fight. I'm surprised they even came to say goodbye at all. They told me that maybe it was meant to be, I never fit in with them anyway. It's not exactly my fault that I'm not a natural Einstein. Not everyone gets A+'s in all classes. I told them that I hoped that I did die in the arena because then I would never have to be around them again.

My mom slammed the door in my face when she walked out. I'm still not sorry.

Anyway.

I am standing around the City Circle after every district has ridden the chariot up there. I'm still getting over the excitement of the whole thing. I hope the interviews are like this too. I want to have as much fun as possible before I die.

Phoenix Thread (14) from District 8's POV

Honestly, I would do a better job at picking the tribute parade outfits than my stylist did. Being from District 8 and all, I know a lot about style. I glance around the City Circle and silently evaluate all of the "fashions".

The girl from District 1 is wearing a short, strapless dress covered in diamonds, while her partner is in a suit covered in the same jewels. They both have diamond crowns on their heads, maybe meant to imply the victor's crown. If those diamonds were real, I would just about die.

The District 2 pair looks fierce. The girl is wearing nothing but a bronze leotard, but her hair is up in a complicated bun. The boy is wearing bronze pants, but he's shirtless, so you can see his abs and his huge muscles. This pair is a force to be reckoned with, I can already tell.

District 3 looks ridiculous. Their district is technology, so they are both wrapped in one silver keyboard. They have to move around together, and you can't even see what they look like, so this costume isn't doing them any favors.

The next chariot has a traditional District 4 look. The boy is (shocker) shirtless, also with abs, and wearing green swim trunks. He is holding a matching surfboard. I'm surprised when I see the girl. District 4 is supposed to be Careers, but this girl doesn't look more than twelve or thirteen years old. She's dressed as a mermaid, with a purple bikini top and a tail that is the color of the boy's shorts. The boy is very tan while the girl is incredibly pale for someone from District 4. She does have red hair though, so it makes sense.

District 5 is hard to miss. The girl is wearing a short black dress and her partner is in a black T-shirt and shorts, but all of their clothing is colored in small, bright light bulbs. They are very noticeable. A district that's not 1 or 2 actually got a smart stylist this time around.

District 6 is boring – the girl is in a long dress and the boy in a suit. All of the clothing is colored a dark gray, almost black color and painted yellow to look like a road. I get it, their district is transportation, but there were some other things that their stylist could have done that would have been way better.

The District 7 tributes are covered in brown clothing with shining marks to make their bodies look like tree trunks. They wear sparkly green headdresses as leaves. It's one of the better tree costumes I've seen, but that idea is way too unoriginal. The two tributes hold hands and raise them into the air to represent themselves as a team. That must be the dating couple.

And then there's us. Covered in a patchwork of busy designs. We look like quilts. The rainbow of colors and patterns clashes with Raven's red hair. You would think that since the stylists were so "professional", they'd be able to work with that. Well, you thought wrong. We probably look miserable.

The girl from 9 is wearing a one-shouldered dress and the boy is wearing a suit. Both are textured, with tan fur meant to look like grain, I guess, because District 9 is grain. But they look more like animals than grain farmers.

District 10's costumes could possibly be one of the worst I've ever seen. Inflatable cow suits, really? You can't even tell which tributes are which. They won't be gaining any sponsors with those outfits.

District 11 is at least unique. The small girl is dressed as a flower, a daisy it looks like. The bigger boy is, instead of looking clean and polished like everyone else, his makeup is exaggerated and his overalls are ripped to represent how hard the people of their district work, I guess. It's a pretty good idea, actually.

District 12's tributes actually surprise me. The girl is in a strapless dress that is black at the top and then fades to a fiery sunset orange at the bottom. The boy's suit is the same way. They glow like burning coal. Dramatic makeup is done on both faces, and they look very fierce, like they might have a chance this year.

Overall, I'd say that the best districts were 1, 2, 5, and 12. District 10 popped out as the worst one, too.

I wasn't scared for the parade. The real problem is going to be training, which starts tomorrow.

Jade Scorpion (16) from District 3's POV

I have a serious problem with all of this. Every single bit of it. I hate people watching me, I hate being the center of attention, I hate having so much pressure being put on me, and, most of all, hate the whole idea of the Games.

It's so stupid, how the government kills random teenagers. It really doesn't do anything to help the country; it just hurts the system. I was told that I was such a smart girl, that I would make a difference in the world someday. Technology and science and math – it just came easily to me. I loved inventing stuff, and my dream was to become famous for making a positive change in people's lives because of something I invented.

And yes, the past tense was used on purpose.

Now I won't get to do any of that. I won't be able to live my dream. But I've figured out that, in the end, that's not really my problem. It's the country's problem because they will never get to experience the great innovations I had in mind. Everything is all the government's fault, and who knows? Maybe the people will regret just killing me off. But one thing is for sure – people will never, ever, get to experience what I could have been.

I know I'll die. I'm not stupid like some people who actually think that they have a chance. My plan is literally to run away from the bloodbath, climb a tree or something (hide), and outlast everyone else. Logically, if I do this, I'll be in the top half remaining after two days.

I get back to my district team's building. Hunter, my mentor Keylas (District 3's only victor in the past 50 years), my escort Marcie, and I sit down to watch the recap of the Tribute Parade.

I don't really pay attention to anyone's entrance except for ours. We look awful. I hate fashion, I always have, and it's one of the few topics I know close to nothing about. But I know that the "keyboard" we were wearing is nothing close to fashionable, not even in the Capitol.

Hunter reads my mind. "We never had a chance of winning anyway, and that outfit confirmed it." It's okay to say things like this because our stylist isn't in the room.

Keylas nods thoughtfully, as do I, but Marcie looks deeply offended. "Hunter! How dare you insult your stylist! He worked very hard on that costume, and you obviously don't realize how much effort was put into that! Where did your manners go?"

This time it's me who jumps in. "Our lives are in danger! We are probably going to die sometime in the next week and a half and all you can talk about is our manners! _You_ obviously don't know what _we_ are going through right now because _you _don't have any chance of being thrown into an arena with a bunch of killers, whereas we are doing exactly that in a week! Get your priorities right, because manners definitely _isn't_ at the top of the list."

I don't wait to see what she says. I have already stormed out of the room.

Leo Green (17) from District 12's POV

I don't know what to think at all. I'm a completely average tribute. I'm not weak like that twelve-year-old girl Lilac, but I'm not super strong like Dallas or Denver or even Jamal. I am pretty fast and I'm decent with a knife, but I haven't spent my whole life training for the Games – I only get the next three days.

Being from District 12, I normally wouldn't have a chance, but those costumes at the Tribute Parade got the audience's attention, I could tell. The confident/fierce angle totally worked for Stella and I.

Stella. I knew her back in 12. She was the daughter of my mom's best friend, so whenever our families could afford to get together, Stella and I hung out. Everyone loved her, said she was a genuinely nice person, she always volunteered in her free time. You don't meet many people like her anymore, especially back in District 12, where everyone only cares about their own selves because everyone is starving. But not Stella – she always put others before herself.

I liked her for a while. She's so pretty, with her jet-black hair, tanned skin, and ice blue eyes. But then she started dating my best friend (and, yes, they met because of me) and I forced myself to give up on that. Then I met other girls and that whole thing was in the past. I never gave it a second thought until now.

After watching the recap, eating dinner, and showering, I knock on Stella's bedroom door. She answers, and seems very surprised to see me there. "Can I come in?" I ask. She nods, and I step through the door.

"I was wondering… if maybe… uh, you wanted to… uh, be allies in the arena?" After saying this, my eyes flicker up to hers, meeting the ice blue color I'd always admired.

"Leo…" Her voice wavers, and I can see tears welling up in her eyes. "I don't think I can… bring myself to do that."

"Why not?" I ask incredulously.

"There's only one victor. Even if we are allies, one of us has to die. If it's me, I don't want you to watch me die, I don't want you to have to go through it. And I don't think… I don't think I could handle it if I had to watch you die."

"Yes, but I want to protect you," I say. "I want it to be one of us that wins."

"Leo, I'm not going to win," she says. Tears are streaming down her face by now, but she doesn't seem to be acknowledging them. "You – you have a chance. You could win this. I want that for you. I don't want to hold you back from that."

"Stella," I tell her. "If you die, I want to be right by your side, doing everything I can to prevent it. I don't think I could ever forgive myself if you died without me doing anything about it."

"I was so upset when you got reaped," she cries. "I don't want you to die." She's sobbing now.

"Trust me, Stella," I say softly. "I will do anything I can to keep you alive." I wipe the tears away from her face.

She looks up at me. I can see the determination in her face, the strength she's trying to express. Then she sticks her hand out for me to shake. "Allies?"

I feel relief wash over me. "Of course." I shake her hand. "I'll leave you to yourself. It's probably a good thing to get a lot of sleep tonight." I turn to leave.

"Leo?" she says in a small voice.

"Yeah?"

"You looked good in your suit today, at the parade. You really looked like you were on fire." Stella takes a deep breath. "I wish I could have seen you in a miner's outfit. So many things I wish I could have done that I know I won't get to do."

"Like what?" I ask.

"Like…" she pauses, and I can tell she's gathering up all of her courage to say what she is going to say next. "Be with you."

I look into her eyes again. I see sadness, anger, exhaustion, and some kind of wild strength. But most of all, I see hope.

"I wasn't kidding when I said I would do anything to keep you alive," I whisper. "Who knows? Maybe I feel the same way."

Stella smiles for the first time since we even got reaped today. "Whatever this is, I think we're more than just allies now."

I grin back at her. "I'm thinking the same thing."

"See you tomorrow," she says.

Before leaving, I hug her. We hold on for a while, taking in the situation. Then I turn to walk out. "Good night." She just smiles a sad smile, and I walk into the hallway.

Words can't even express what I'm feeling right now.

The last thing that I think before falling asleep is that so much has happened today.


	4. Chapter 4 - Training Day 1, Part 1

**Here is Chapter 4! It is Part 1 of Training Day 1! I am halfway done with Part 2 (the fifth chapter) right now, so I'll try to get that in later today or tomorrow!**

Chapter 4

Arielle Scales (13) from District 4's POV

When I lived back home in District 4, I would wake up to the relaxing sound of waves crashing on the ocean shore. It would always put me in a good mood. But today, since everything has changed, I get the wake-up call of my escort, Petunia's shrill voice. "Arielle!" she trills. "Wake up, darling! It's time for breakfast!"

Yeah, I'm _not _in a good mood today. Until I see the breakfast table, that is.

Apples, oranges, and bananas are piled high in a huge bowl. There are two gigantic platters as well – one holds bacon, sausages, and potatoes, and the other holds pancakes, waffles, and French toast. On a side table (because the table couldn't fit all of the food), there is an assortment of sauce, syrup, and toppings, and pitchers of water, orange juice, and apple juice.

Maybe the Capitol isn't so bad after all.

Petunia, my mentors Ava and Charley, and my district partner Jaymes are already sitting at the table. Petunia is eating daintily, Ava and Charley are eating like normal people, and Jaymes is shoving everything in his mouth. I don't blame him, though – District 4 is one of the wealthier districts, but that doesn't mean we always have enough quality food to eat. Most of the time we just eat extra fish we caught for dinner.

"Morning!" Petunia, Ava, and Charley chorus cheerfully. Jaymes just keeps eating, he doesn't even look up to acknowledge my presence. That doesn't surprise me, though. He hasn't spoken a word to me yet at all. I guess he's disappointed that I'm not a trained, 18-year-old volunteer. Usually the girls that come from our district are. Well, that's not exactly my fault, is it?

I suspect I won't be part of the Career pack this year. Everyone else is at least 17 years old and was a volunteer. And then there's me, a 13-year-old little girl who cried when she got reaped. I doubt I have a chance with them, let alone a chance of winning the Games.

I sit down and start eating. This food is like heaven. Believe it or not, I've never had bacon or French toast, and I find that I'm immediately addicted to both. I also find, though, that the food is very rich, and I can't fit too much of it in my small body.

"Training starts today," comments Charley, and my stomach does a flip-flop. Training will just decrease my chances of being in the Career alliance. Soon everyone will discover that I have zero survival/killing talent, although I probably wouldn't be too bad at identifying which plants are poisonous and which aren't. But I've never even held a weapon before, unlike these people who have been throwing knives since they were eight years old.

My plan is to find an ally that's not a Career, perhaps a girl around my age, and stick with her. I'll work on that today.

I flip my red hair over my shoulder and walk out of the room without dismissing myself. I need to get ready for the long day ahead of me.

Graham Axel (16) from District 7's POV

I have had one plan, ever since Hazel's name got reaped from that bowl. Stay calm, volunteer, train, stick to Hazel's side no matter what, and do the same in the arena. The whole reason why I volunteered was to protect her. So far, my plan has worked and I've been able to follow through with it.

Hazel and I walk into the training room holding hands. We appear weak, but in truth we're not. We're going to spend all of our time training together, doing survival skills and weapons we don't know. No one will know that both of us are extremely talented with an ax. Then, when we have our private training sessions, we will shock the Gamemakers with what we can do.

We are the second ones to arrive (the pair from District 2 is here, buttering up the trainers already. It's not hard to tell who the teachers' pets are going to be.) We're still a half hour early, though. Hazel squeezes my hand, and I look at her to see that she's worried. "It's okay," I say. "There's nothing to be afraid of." Even though there is.

I don't believe myself, and neither does she, but she nods, wipes the tears from her hazel (fitting, right?) eyes, and glances around the room to see what stations there are.

To calm myself down, I flash back to when Hazel and I first got together. My twin sister Leigh was her best friend, and her twin brother Andrew was my best friend. The four of us were inseparable from the time we were only eight years old. We were all brothers and sisters to each other because we spent every day together.

When we were all about thirteen or so, I began to like Hazel – but more than in a sisterly kind of way. We began to do stuff on our own, rather than all of the four of us. I became as close to her as I was to Andrew and Leigh. When we were fourteen, I asked her out on the same day Andrew asked Leigh out. They both said yes.

I still remember that day – October 12th. I took Hazel to the woods, to the spot the four of us would always go to and talk. Only this time, it was just the two of us. With berries, I had made a huge outline of a heart, and inside of the heart, I had carved HA + GA into the ground. I walked over and pretended to be surprised when I saw the heart. When she saw it, she didn't even blink.

Hazel said, "Graham, you don't have to act all fake about this. I know you like me. Guess what? I like you too. I have for the past three years." Three years? That was even longer than me – I had liked her for a year and a half and I thought that was a long time. "So you don't have to go through a whole speech. Of course I'll go out with you."

"You do know me pretty well," I commented, so happy.

"Yeah, I've only been, like, stalking you since I was eleven," she said, and we laughed.

Then, we hugged and as soon as we touched each other, it started pouring down rain, out of nowhere. Since the spot in the woods was fifteen minutes away from our houses (we were next-door-neighbors), we had to run home, and by the time we got there, we were soaking wet, but it was the best day of my life.

We have been together since then, as well as Andrew and Leigh, who are still in a relationship. I wonder what they are going through right now.

Hazel is amazing. She doesn't deserve to have this happen to her.

As the other tributes arrive, we start going to the different stations. I'd better start paying attention if I'm going to get Hazel out alive.

Alicia Swords (17) from District 2's POV

The feeling I'm feeling right now doesn't have a name. It's indescribable. But I can tell you that it's something like ecstatic times ten. I have been waiting for this my entire life. I've gone through training since I was seven, and I am finally here living my dream. And I will live it my whole life when I win.

I was born to kill. I was born to use weapons. I am proud of it.

As the weak tributes (basically all of them except for the people in our alliance) go to the survival stations, I head straight for the spears. I get bored after hitting the bulls-eye nine out of ten times, so I head to knife throwing and do the same thing, then archery. Then I go to the sword-fighting ring, where I battle a professional instructor, and I win easily.

This is boring. I decide to take a break to finalize the Career alliance. So far, we have Dallas, Jamal, Amethyst, Jaymes, and me. We wouldn't let Arielle from District 4 join because she's too young and she's not trained. After watching her try to throw knives, I know we made the right decision. Only three of her ten knives hit the target at all. Pathetic.

Anyway, though, since Arielle wouldn't help us at all, we have an opening in our alliance. "Who should we ask?" Jamal questions us.

"I don't know. Maybe the guy from 11… 6 and 12 don't look awful either. We're obviously the best people here," I say.

"You know, maybe it should just be us," says Dallas.

"That's a great idea!" says Amethyst overenthusiastically. It's obvious that she likes him. Doesn't she realize that in the next two weeks, at least one of the two of them will be dead? Probably her. She doesn't seem like a great asset to the alliance, either, but I don't really want to start a fight within the Careers, especially before the games even start.

"I agree with that," says Jaymes. "You know, it's stupid to ask someone to join when they could kill us in our sleep. We're all friends, and we won't do that to each other unless we absolutely have to, but you never know what people from other districts could do."

"Right," I say. "So no new additions, as of right now?" Everyone nods. "But we all know that the game could change later. But that's okay, because we have everyone under our control. We're the Careers, after all. We don't need a random guy from another district to make us the best, because we already are!"

"Yes! Yes! We are the best!" cheers Jamal, and we all high-five.

It's too bad that we have to go into the arena together, because we've become friends, even in the past day. Dallas and I knew each other before we got reaped (we trained together), but I like everyone else. Amethyst does get on my nerves sometimes, but I have to be nice to her, especially since we're the only girls. Dallas, Jaymes, and Jamal are great – they are funny and talented, perfect qualities for an ally.

But they all have to die if I want to win.

I could beat Amethyst in a fight easily. With a little work, I could probably beat Jamal. Jaymes, Dallas, and I are probably even. I'll wait to kill them until I absolutely have to.

I realize that maybe winning isn't going to be as easy as I thought it would be.

Denver Roots (18) from District 2's POV

I can hear the Careers talking about me. I hear "the guy from 11" as I walk by them. Well, if they want me in their alliance, I'm going to deny them. I don't care if it makes me a target – I am staying true to who I am, no matter what.

If I were to ally with the Careers and then win, I would never be welcomed back in 11. It's considered disloyal to join forces with the Careers. True victors should be able to win on their own, that's what everyone I know says.

That doesn't mean I'm not going to get allies. The Careers aren't the only talented ones. I've been talking with the boy from 5, Bennett, and he and I have a lot in common. Both of us are very family-oriented, we're honest people, and believe in karma. I won't kill unless I have to.

This probably surprises a lot of people, considering I'm 6'3" and muscular, but I'm not stupid. I'm going to play the game right. I know what's right.

I also am making it a priority of mine to protect the little girl from my district, Lilac. She reminds me of my twelve-year-old sister, Ria. I would do anything for her – she is the main reason I want to win. I want to come back to my family, particularly Ria. I'm going to treat Lilac as if she were Ria. I'm not going to stick with her the whole time or anything, but I definitely won't kill her or do anything to harm her.

Bennett decides to cover survival skills while I work with weapons – that way we will cover more. I head to knife throwing and do a decent job. The same thing happens with archery. Then I go to the sword-fighting station. I've only used a sword a couple times before, so trying to impress people probably isn't the best idea. But I decide to try fighting one of the pros.

We shuffle around, jabbing every once in a while. I forget about all of the people watching me. I forget about the Games. It's just the trainer, the swords, and me. This makes me feel… exhilarated. Alive.

I finally defeat the trainer. Everyone is watching me in awe. Lilac starts clapping but she stops when she realizes no one else is joining her.

Maybe I am a force to be reckoned with.


	5. Chapter 5 - Training Day 1, Part 2

**Hey! I'm sorry for two reasons:**

**1) I didn't get you the update I promised when I promised it. Here it is.**

**2) This chapter is a bit shorter than usual. I felt like I included all I needed to write.**

**Thanks for dealing with me. Please review!**

Chapter 5

Hayden Fields (13) from District 9's POV

When I see the boy from District 11 sword fighting and when I see everyone's reaction after it, another wave of hopelessness washes over me. If a boy, from District 11 of all districts, could be that good, that just confirms my thoughts. I'll never survive. I could easily name ten tributes off the top of my head that could kill me in seconds. This includes all of the Careers, the boy from District 11, and several more.

While everyone stares in awe at the boy named Denver, Willow and I quietly go back to trying to start a fire without matches. Willow and I aren't allies or anything, we've barely even spoken, but we're doing some survival stations together just because two heads are better than one.

I don't plan on having any allies, though. I honestly shouldn't be thinking about this stuff because there's about an 80% chance I'll die in the bloodbath, even if I don't go to the Cornucopia for supplies. But if by some miracle I do survive, I'm surviving on my own. Allies are just plain trouble.

I give up on trying to start a fire because I've made absolutely no progress in the past hour. "I'm going to learn about edible plants," I tell Willow. "I'll probably come back later."

She nods and stays crouched down. I walk to the edible plants station, where the girls from 3 and 11 are acing the test. It shouldn't be too hard if they can do it easily.

"Would you like to learn first, or go ahead and take the test?" the trainer asks me.

"I'll take the test. I think I'm ready," I say cockily.

"Okay," she says, and steps back.

After sorting the plants into groups of edible and nonedible, I learn that I only got them half right.

"Would you like to learn?" the trainer asks again knowingly.

I nod, blushing.

McKayla Carr (15) from District 6's POV

I have very mixed feelings about being here in the Capitol. I am 100% enjoying the rich food, the beautiful clothes, and how everyone treats me like royalty. My family was very poor back in District 6 – we were lucky to get one decent meal a day. Here, we get a guaranteed three meals a day and snacks whenever we want. (Not to mention the food is _amazing!_) Back home, I had maybe four outfits I would just alternate between wearing. In the Capitol, I have a huge closet full of cute clothes (half of which I will never get to wear) and my own personal stylist. In District 6, I had to share a bedroom with two other people. And here, I get half of a _floor_ all to myself.

But then there's always the thought in the back of my mind that I will probably die in the next week. That doesn't make everything as pleasant as it should be. I've always told myself to think positive, that things will get better. So I'm trying to enjoy all of the luxuries, instead of thinking about the arena. I am appreciating what I have right now.

Even now, as I am training for the arena itself, I have many things to be happy about. I am wearing a pretty, comfortable outfit (a lime green tank top with a sparkly black '6' on the front and black cropped leggings to match) and I have a lunch break in fifteen minutes that I can look forward to. I can always look forward to the food here.

Maybe at lunch, I can establish an alliance. I'm thinking three or four girls that I can work with. So far, I like the girls from 3, 5, and 8. We're all around the same age, and they seem nice. Not major threats, but not weak, either. I think having an alliance with those three girls would help my chances in the arena instead of hurting them.

Before the break, I approach the girl from District 5, Poppy. "Hey," I say as she's camouflaging herself.

She smiles at me. I knew she seemed friendly. "Hi," she replies. "What's up?"

"Uh, I was watching you… and I think that we have a lot in common. I was wondering if maybe you and I could form an alliance. We could invite another person or two, if you wanted, too. But you seem like you would be a great ally."

Her smile breaks into a grin. "I'd love to. When I was thinking about getting allies, I thought the same thing about you."

"That's awesome! So, what do you think? Should we ask other people? I was thinking maybe the girls from 3 and 8…"

"I agree," she says. "We will have a girl winner this year! One that's not a Career!" We high-five, and then the bell rings, telling us that it's time for lunch.

We go up to the girls from three and eight, named Jade and Raven, who are, coincidentally, sitting together. We tell them about our alliance plan and they agree. Now I'm feeling better about the arena, if that's possible.

See what happens when you think positive?

Bennett Switch (16) from District 5's POV

I'm a lot more confident now than I was when I first arrived at the Capitol. I've (kind of) gotten used to the people here, and I'm enjoying the food and all of the luxuries. I'm even feeling better about going into the arena, now that I have an ally. He's a strong one, too. Denver is the best kind of ally to have in the arena. He's talented and could kill almost anyone, he's smart, he would have a just as good, if not better chance of winning compared to any of the Careers. But unlike the Careers, I can already tell that Denver is not the kind of person who would stab you in the back. He knows the meaning of an ally and he will stick to it until the end. With Denver on my side, I have a much better shot in this.

But I don't want him to die. I don't want anyone to die.

Sitting at a lunch table with Denver, we talk about what we've learned so far today. I tell him about making fires and identifying poisonous plants, and he tells me about throwing knives and sword fighting. I compliment him on his natural talent with the swords, and he blushes and tells me it's no big deal. "It is too a big deal," I reply. "You could beat any of the tributes in a fight, from what I've seen. That's huge."

"I guess you're right," he says, and takes another bite of bread.

We look around t the other tributes. It's obvious that whoever is sitting with others is in an alliance with them. Everyone is either chatting away with allies or sitting alone. Denver and I observe.

The Career pack is together of course. Jamal, Amethyst, Dallas, Alicia, and Jaymes (I memorized all of the tributes' names) look like they've all been friends for years. Then I realize that there are only five of them. I look to find Arielle, the small girl from 4, sitting alone, looking miserable.

Jade, Poppy, McKayla, and Raven are all sitting together. I wonder if they realize that it's highly unlikely that all four of them will survive even the first day.

The pair from 7, Hazel and Graham, is sitting together. They are dating, I can tell. Leo and Stella from 12 are sitting together as well, and they act like they are a couple, but I don't remember anyone saying anything about it. Hmmm. Denver and I were talking about asking Leo to join our alliance, but I guess we can't anymore if he's already in one. Austin and Celeste are sharing a table too, but they aren't really talking to each other. I doubt they are more than (barely) friends.

Everyone else (Hunter from 3, Arielle from 4, Aidan from 6, Phoenix from 8, both Willow and Hayden from 9, and Lilac from 11) is alone, nibbling on food nervously.

I think that Denver and I have the best alliance, because it's the least likely to be broken. Large alliances (the Careers and the girls) tend to fall apart quickly, relationships (District 7 and maybe District 12) are too risky because people always end up fighting, it's hard to be an ally with someone you barely talk to (District 10), and operating alone is difficult because, as everyone knows, two heads are better than one.

I'm playing a smart game here.

Celeste Rodriguez (15) from District 10's POV

I don't know anything anymore.

I don't know why I'm here, what I'm going to do, why the heck Austin wants to be allies with someone like me, and I don't know if I even want to win or not.

I've lost everything.

I enjoyed growing up as an only child because I got all of the attention. Everything was all about me, and I loved that, even if we didn't have a ton of money. Then, when I was ten, my parents were both riding horses out to the fields when the horses went crazy and crashed into each other, knocking everyone to the ground. No one survived, not even the horses. I've been on my own ever since. Until now, I haven't had a full meal in five years.

Everything bad has already happened to me. There's no reason to live. There's no one back home counting on me to win. No one would care if I got murdered.

I don't live a very fun life.

I snap back to attention as lunch ends, and Austin tells me that he's going to go learn how to throw knives. I tell him that I'm going to go make fires. He says okay.

I sit at the fire-making station. I already know how to make a fire without matches, I had to do it all the time back in 10, but I don't really care.

I've decided that there's no point in trying anymore.


	6. Chapter 6 - Training Day 2

Chapter 6

Hunter Albert (14) from District 3's POV

I've learned throughout the years to put others before myself, so I'm just not very good at the whole Hunger Games thing in general. I don't feel sorry for myself, ever (I've trained my mind to be strong), and there are some advantages and disadvantages of that. The advantage is that I can actually be smart here and not spend my whole time crying in a corner. The disadvantage is that I don't have the determination everyone else does. The only reason I would want to win this is for my father.

When my father was a kid, he was a super poor orphan living on his own. Through smarts and his drive to make his life better, he got a job and started making money. Then he met my mom and they got married when they were both twenty-three. My mom died giving birth to me, so I've been an only child without a mother for my whole life. But I shouldn't be complaining about that, I've had it easy compared to some people. Like my dad.

I'm sure my dad was once a great person. He had to be, for my mom to fall in love with him. But my whole life, he has shut me out. Instead of paying attention to me, he devotes himself to his work. I think he still misses my mother and he needs a distraction. I'm pretty sure that I remind him of his dead wife, and that's not exactly a good thing.

My point is, even though we don't have a super strong father-son bond or anything, it would break him beyond repair if I died. We don't talk much, but I know that I'm all he has and he loves me dearly. When I got reaped, I wasn't thinking about myself. I was thinking about him. He was more distraught than I was when he was saying goodbye.

With these thoughts in my head, I convince myself to actually learn something today in training. Yesterday, I basically sat around by myself waiting for the day to be over. Which isn't like me at all. Like I said, I don't pity myself. I am strong and I make the best of what I have.

I'll try to follow through with that on the second day of training today.

Today, Jade and I vowed not to be late for training, because yesterday we were ten minutes late and we were the last ones there. Honestly, it was really embarrassing. Today, however, we arrive twenty minutes early and the only other people there are the tributes from District 6, Aidan and McKayla. Jade instantly starts a conversation with McKayla while Aidan and I just kind of stand there awkwardly. Slowly, all of the other tributes start to trickle in, and soon the trainers let us start, even though Districts 5, 9, and 10 aren't at the Training Center yet.

"That's their own problem," says the ropes instructor when I ask her why we've started even though not everyone is here.

Oh, well. They don't matter. I take a deep breath and start the ropes course.

Stella Canary (15) from District 12's POV

The arena is a dilemma. There are so many questions floating around in my head.

What will the arena look like?

What traps will the Gamemakers set up?

At the Cornucopia, will I get supplies or escape quickly?

What does it feel like to die?

When one (or both) of Leo and me dies, what will happen? And what will the other person do?

That seems to be the biggest question of all.

Leo is amazing. There's no doubt about that. He is kind and he obviously cares about me a lot. He's not the problem. The problem is that at least one of us has to die.

It's hard to talk to him knowing that we'll be separated soon. There's always that thought in the back of my mind that tells me it's never going to work out. That tells me not to get too attached, or it will be harder in the end. And I know that voice is right. That's the problem.

I shake out all of those nerves and tell myself that I will probably only get a couple more days to live, so I should enjoy them instead of wondering about what Leo and I could have been.

We train together, we eat together, we even sleep in the same room every night because we want to live our short lives to the fullest. If I weren't here, living this life, these past couple days would be some of the best in my life.

Leo and I are currently at the knife-throwing station. Yesterday we did all survival skills, which I'm actually decent at, and today we're covering weapons. Our plan for tomorrow is to do anything we feel would help us to get far in the Games.

As Leo gets his first bulls-eye, I applaud him, and he does a bow. I laugh as he gives me the knives so I can try.

I look at my target, make sure my fingers are in the precise position my trainer taught me, and throw. To my amazement, the knife actually hits the target! Not a bulls-eye, but still good for my first try. I get a bulls-eye on my fifth try. After throwing ten knives, three of them are bulls-eyes and all of them are somewhere on the target.

Who would have ever thought that the short, skinny girl from District 12 of all places would have a natural talent for throwing knives?

Leo kisses my cheek shyly as I walk back from collecting the knives. "I'm proud of you," he says.

"You're sure you're not jealous?" I tease him as we walk away from the station.

He laughs. "Not a bit. I'm thrilled – this will definitely help in the arena."

God, I can't even have a ten-second conversation with my boyfriend without being reminded of my death sentence.

I guess that in a place like this, reminders are everywhere.

Jamal Gold (17) from District 1's POV

I would say that I'm definitely a unique tribute. I have a positive outlook on life, I honestly do. I believe that one works best when they are happy, and I am grateful for everything I get. I may be a Career – I may be strong and talented and I may have the potential to win the Games. But I am not a ruthless killer. That's what sets me apart.

Yeah, I'll kill if I have to. I'll kill if I get the _opportunity_ to. But a kill list doesn't matter to me. I want to win the Games to get a happy life.

I am rich back home, almost everyone in 1 is, but that doesn't mean I live a fabulous life. My mom killed my dad when I was ten. I'm the only one who knows that – he was poisoned, but everyone else thought it was by accident, whereas I knew it was my mom's doing. I was young, but I wasn't stupid.

Why does everyone seem to think I'm stupid? I'm not.

Anyway, though, my mom is crazy. She hates me, hated my dad, and I want to win to escape from her.

I've heard stories about parents who abuse their children – who hit them and beat them. My mom wasn't like that. She was worse. Beatings may hurt, but you recover eventually. My mom's abuse wasn't physical. It was verbal. I will remember some things she's said to me for the rest of my life.

I've learned that insults hurt a lot more when they're coming from your mom rather than just some random kid. I'm sensitive. No matter how big my muscles are, I still cry. I used to cry myself to sleep every night, but I've told myself to be strong. That is my motivation. _I will be strong,_ I say to myself every day when things get hard. _I will be strong._

Everybody knows me as the guy who cheers everyone up. I am the guy who always has something funny to say, who is always, always happy. And that in itself is kind of funny, because it's so far from true.

Anyway, the Career pack is good this year. I've actually become friends with some of them. Jaymes, especially, is a lot like me. He's genuine, and funny, and talented, and smart. We both like to think positive. Although, I am trying to win to escape my family, while he is trying to win for his family. He has three little sisters who sobbed so hard when he got reaped. I volunteered, but he got reaped. Oh, well – he's talented. He's still a Career. Jaymes is the only one I've told about my mom. Might as well tell someone if you're going to die in a week.

Dallas is one of those ruthless killers. He's nice enough to us, I guess, but you can tell that all he wants is to get in the arena and get a very high kill list.

The girl from his district, Alicia, is the same way. She treats spears like they're her babies but the other tributes as if they're worms. She is what a victor is supposed to be like. I wouldn't be surprised if she went insane in the arena.

Amethyst won't last long, I can tell. All she cares about right now is Dallas (and her hair). I think it would actually be kind of funny if Dallas kills her. That's what she gets for being so naïve.

I guess I do think like a killer sometimes.

Lilac Rosen (12) from District 11's POV

I try to keep the tears from my eyes today.

It's hard.

I am the only twelve-year-old here. Everyone else pretends like I'm not. I know that I am. Just because I'm the youngest doesn't mean I'm the most stupid.

I don't try to get allies. Nobody wants me in an alliance.

Yesterday, I spent the whole time hiding. Why should I bother trying to learn stuff when I know I'll never get to use it? I know I'll die within the first five minutes.

Today, the only thing I've done is the edible plants test. This is because it's the only thing I would ever be halfway decent at. Then I hide again. When the bell rings announcing it's time to go, I breathe a sigh of relief and crawl out of my hiding spot.

"Lilac," Denver says to me as we go up the elevator to our floor of the living quarters. "Where were you today, during training? I didn't see you anywhere."

I know Denver wants to get to know me, and I feel bad not letting him know me, but it's really better for both of us to stay silent. That way, when one of us dies, the other one isn't sad.

The elevator dings and the doors open.

I shrug and walk out of the elevator.

Then I go into my bedroom and hide until my escort announces it's time for dinner.

It seems like I am doing a lot of hiding these days.

I have a strategy for the arena.

**Okay, I'm sososososo sorry I haven't updated in a while! I know that this next week or so is going to be super busy and all (I have gymnastics Nationals next week, therefore I have very long practices every day this week), but I will try to find time to write. Thanks! I hope you enjoyed this chapter. :)**


	7. Chapter 7 - Training Day 3

**Okay! I am so proud of myself because this is my longest chapter yet, and I have been working on it for every possible moment in the past day! I hope you enjoy it!**

Chapter 7

Dallas Woods (18) from District 2's POV

I am so bored.

This training stuff is crap. I don't need training. I think I'm going to go crazy if I don't get to kill someone soon. That's the whole reason I came, right? And I've been stuck in the Capitol doing stuff I already know how to do.

At least we only have one more day of training. Then we have the private sessions with the Gamemakers (I can't wait to at least get an 11) and the next day is interviews. Next, we finally get to go to the arena. I have been waiting for this my entire life, now I only have to wait a couple more days.

Today, the last day of training, I plan to use all of my favorite weapons. This includes basically all of them – swords, knives, spears, machetes, anything. I also don't mind bows and arrows. I'm familiar with all of this stuff because I trained 5 hours a day, every day back home since I was 6.

I don't think I can win this.

I know I can win this.

I'm already planning my kill list. I plan to break the record of killing twelve tributes. That's easy. I hate the pairs from 7 and 12, how they're all lovey-dovey. It makes me sick. Don't they know that they're all going to die in the next week? And don't they know that I'm going to be the one that does it? The guy from 11 bothers me too. Obviously he's not a threat to me, but he walks around all proud, like he thinks he can actually win this. He doesn't even have a chance.

The girl alliance annoys me. They think that with more girls, they are smarter, but honestly, with girls, the more there are, the more stupid they are.

Alliances aren't really genuine. There are only five of us in the Career pack. The only one actually worth keeping is Alicia. She's good with weapons, and she has the same drive and determination as me. I know she would kill without any guilt.

Jamal and Jaymes are all right, I guess. I'll keep them around for a while. They're both semi-talented and decently strong, although they're nothing compared to me. They could probably kill a couple people. The problem is that Jamal and Jaymes are actually becoming friends! This is not supposed to happen. Allies shouldn't be anything more than killing partners. (This goes for Districts 7 and 12, too!)

As for Amethyst, she deserves to die. I can tell she likes me, but I'm used to this. I'm not stupid. Back home, I had a mile-long line of girls who wanted to date me. Does Amethyst think that she's the only one worthy of liking me?

1) She's not worthy.

2) She's wrong.

She will be dead first. I guarantee it. She can't even hold a bow and arrow properly, and that's a girly weapon.

And, yes, I will be the one to kill her. How bittersweet.

So right now, on my kill list, I have Amethyst, Jade, Poppy, McKayla, Graham, Hazel, Raven, Denver, Leo, and Stella. That's ten tributes so far. I also have anyone who tries to mess with me. And whomever I get the opportunity to kill, excluding my "alliance".

These games are going to be the best in years. Everyone will be dead within three days, thanks to me. I imagine living in the Capitol (I'm too good for District 2) once I've won.

The morning flies by, and by lunch, I've only gotten to knives and spears. I better hurry up after lunch!

When I get bored, I remind myself: the real fun will come soon.

Hazel Almond (16) from District 7's POV

I have a plan for the arena.

No one knows about it. Not even Graham. Graham shouldn't know about it. It should be kept a secret from him most of all.

My plan is to die.

My plan is to die for Graham.

He deserves to win. He is strong. He can kill people, but he wouldn't be one of the victors that just go back to a normal life, who lives in riches. He has feelings. He would feel bad about what he has done, but he will appreciate it. Every last bit of what he is given. He will be grateful for his fans that cheered for him the whole way. He will be a true victor.

That's what Panem really needs.

Sitting here, at lunch on the last day, only helps to confirm my plan. Graham is amazing. It makes my insides lurch to know that these next couple days are going to be the only ones left in our relationship.

There is one problem with this plan.

I'm pretty sure Graham has the same one.

His plan is the other way around, of course. He wants to go into the arena to die for me. I will not let that happen. He will be the victor, if it is the last thing I do. (It _will_ probably end up being the last thing I do.)

I don't want to be here, and I know Graham doesn't, either. But I also know that he would never forgive himself if I died and he wasn't there to stop it, or at the very least, just be there.

Right now, the other tributes see us as desperate lovers. Some even look at us with pity. But these are games, _the_ Games. And Graham and I are way fiercer than we look. We both excel with an ax (watch out if you come find us in the arena and one of us has an ax – you'd be dead in seconds) and we're smart. We've been watching the Games our whole lives. We know what it takes to win. Lastly, Graham and I have a great partnership. We both know full well that there will be absolutely no backstabbing.

I am fit. I know that. I can run and jump. I'm faster than at least half of the tributes, I can see that just by looking at everyone else. I could even beat Dallas or Denver in a footrace, even though everyone expects one of them to win the whole thing. They're strong, but I'm quick.

Back home, I danced. No one knows this, not even Graham. And that's saying something. One time, when I was in the district library, I found some old tapes behind a shelf from hundreds of years ago, before the Dark Days and the first rebellion. They were of dancers. We haven't had dancers in our country since then. But whenever I was in my small house alone, I would watch the tapes and teach myself everything. I've become very flexible and strong.

Now these skills are actually coming to good use.

Anyway, I even began to choreograph dances for myself, using some steps from the videos and some steps from my brain. Whenever I was sad or angry, I would dance through the pain. I always felt better. Just being able to leap through the air and forget about all of your problems and just to dance… It was exhilarating.

I haven't danced since the morning of the reaping. That was only three days ago, but it seems like a year ago. I want more than anything to find an empty room with no cameras and no one watching and dance, even if there's no music.

All of the sudden, I have a plan. (Yes, another one.) I know what I'm going to do for my private session.

It seems like, now, I have a plan for everything.

But if I've learned one thing from watching the Games for sixteen years, it's that nothing _ever_ goes exactly as planned.

Jaymes Current (18) from District 4's POV

I have always been told that I was a genuinely good person. I never made fun of people, I never complained, and I always put others before myself.

Look where that got me.

I thought karma was real. If you do good things, you get good things in return. I did good things… I'm not exactly in a good situation. And it doesn't look like it's going to get any better.

I am scared to death right now.

And it's probably for the wrong reasons, too. I'm not scared to die – everything happens for a reason. And if I die in the arena, maybe it was meant to be. I'm scared of losing myself. I will kill, I guess, if I have to, but I don't want to turn into some crazy killing monster. I don't want to turn into a Dallas.

As I'm thinking this, during lunch, Dallas quietly tells me, Jamal, and Alicia his kill list so far. Amethyst is gone getting Dallas a drink, the suck-up.

I may not want to kill people, but I laugh when I hear that Amethyst is on Dallas's kill list. It's pretty funny, considering Amethyst is head-over-heels in love with the guy. Her love will probably change when he stabs her. "You know, I'll probably wait because I like having someone get drinks for me," Dallas jokes. "But look at these muscles. I can get a drink for myself."

Jamal and I share an eye roll. Out of the Career pack, Jamal is the only one I've become close to, like you're supposed to in a real alliance. We're so incredibly similar to each other, and he's the only one in these Games that I could never kill.

Amethyst skips back to the table. "Here's your water!" she practically sings.

Jamal, Dallas, Alicia, and I can barely hold back our laughter. "Thanks," Dallas says, and shares a glance with Alicia. Sometimes I wonder if there is anything going on between those two. But then I remember that this is Dallas we're talking about. All he wants to do is get the highest kill count of any tribute in history. I bet if it came down to it, he would kill Alicia with no guilt, if it meant breaking the record.

It's hard to be allies with someone knowing that they want something like that.

I'll just keep in mind not to go to sleep with only Dallas on watch. He seems like the kind of person that would kill you in your sleep. I think the same thing about Alicia, too. Maybe that's why I always imagine them together.

That would never work out. They would probably just end up killing each other (literally).

The bell finally rings and I can go back to weapons. Even though I don't love the idea of killing, I do love using weapons. I love the power that I have when I'm holding one, the control I possess.

I guess we all have a little bit of Dallas in us.

I particularly like the trident. That's a traditional weapon for the District 4 tributes, because we use tridents down in the sea when we're working. I like knives, too, and spears, because they're similar to a trident.

Everyone says I don't look like I'm from District 4. Arielle is the same way. Most people from our district are blond and have aqua to emerald eyes (at least some shade of green). Everyone is tan, too. Arielle is pale with red hair. She has the green eyes, though. I am basically the opposite – I'm very tan, but I have chestnut-colored hair and ice blue eyes. Some people say my eyes have a very faint tint of green in them, but I don't see it.

I watch Dallas as he uses a sword to fight the professional trainer. He may not be very nice, but you have to admit – that guy's got determination. He's putting his blood, sweat, and tears into _training_. What we do today isn't even scored. It makes me wonder what he'll be like in the arena.

I've always watched the Games, of course. I've seen what it's like to be a tribute, to have an alliance, all that stuff. But I know that being in the arena is worse than it seems (even though it seems pretty awful). They don't put all of it on camera. I wonder what it's like to actually be in there, to be fighting for your life.

I suppose I'll find out in three days.

But I do know one thing: these Games will change me. No matter whether I end up dead or alive.

I don't want them to change me.

Raven Silk (16) from District 8's POV

I've always been told that my strength was my best quality. Not my physical strength, but my mental strength, my emotional strength. When I was almost dead of starvation and my whole family (my mom, my dad, and my siblings - one older brother, two younger sisters) was too weak to even get up, I got up. I looked for food all over the district, as far as I could walk without collapsing every five seconds. And, finally, I found it.

I didn't give up. Again, I'm not talking about the fact that I found a way for my legs to carry me all that way. I'm talking about the fact that I found a way for my brain to let my legs carry me all that way.

I told myself that, no matter what, I would not die. And if I died, it would be while I was looking for food, while I wasn't giving up. I wanted to die trying.

That's my goal for the arena.

I will push through whatever pain I have and fight until the last second, even if there's no point. I will have no regrets.

I think having an alliance is a good thing. The alliance that we have is great because I am close to all of the people in it.

Jade is super smart, and she knows how to lie really well. She comes off as very elusive, which is good in the Games, but once you get to know her, she's the opposite. She is really quiet, though.

Poppy is a truly unique person. After all she's been through (she told us about her family hating her just because she wasn't smart), she still is happy. She knows she will die, so her goal is to have as much fun as possible until then. You can tell that she loves to perform, because she's a total drama queen. But that's a good thing, and she's a good actress (could potentially be useful in the Games).

McKayla is the one in the group that will cheer anyone up no matter what. I admire her outlook on life so much! I mean, I have always told myself to keep going and to be strong, but she's just _happy_ about everything! But she always seems to have a plan for everything, which of course will be very helpful in the arena. She's such a great person and I'm really glad to have her in the alliance.

Right now, we are splitting up the stations between the four of us. Jade and Poppy are learning about survival skills, and McKayla and I are learning how to use weapons. Yesterday, it was the other way around.

I've found out that I'm not as bad with weapons as I thought. I'm actually pretty good with a spear. I hit the target every time, even though not all of them are fatal shots. I'm decent with a bow and arrow, I'm okay with knives, but you can tell I just don't belong with a sword or a trident. I'm not that vicious – I'm better with "girly weapons".

McKayla is good with a bow and arrow, and okay with knives. She's horrible at everything else, and she knows it. Instead of getting mad, she laughs it off. That's why I admire her so much.

From what I have seen from the other girls, Jade can't use a weapon to save her life, but she's beyond amazing at survival skills. I think she aced the edible plants test on her very first try. Poppy isn't great with weapons, but she's super fast (McKayla is too) and she got the top time (well, tied with the girl from District 7) on the ropes course.

Everyone else's goal for the arena is to live. Well, I know that won't happen for me, so my goal is to go out with a bang. I want to keep fighting, even if it kills me.

I want to stay strong until my final moment.


	8. Chapter 8 - Training Sessions, Part 1

Chapter 8

Jamal Gold (17) from District 1's POV

Private sessions start today. I haven't been nervous at all until now. I wasn't nervous for the tribute parade or training, but this is when it starts to actually count.

All of the tributes are sitting in a room together, anxiously waiting for the Gamemakers to call them in. Being the boy from District 1, I go first. Oh, well. At least I don't have to wait. And the Gamemakers won't be drunk to watch me.

"Jamal Gold," the robotic voice says, announcing that it's time for the private sessions to start. The room goes quiet and everyone watches me get up and walk through the door to the Training Center.

Jaymes whispers, "Good luck," to me as I leave.

I was right about the Gamemakers not being drunk. They're all watching me intently. In a way, this is more pressure than it would have been.

I immediately go to the weapons. I am good with spears and tridents, and I'm okay with knives. I go to spears first, and out of ten throws, all of them hit the target, nine are fatal shots, and six hit the bulls-eye.

Normally, I would go to tridents next, but a trident is similar to a spear and I already showed what I could do with those, so I walk over to the knives. I start whipping them at the targets at full speed, as if I was fighting multiple people at once. I throw twenty total knives, nineteen hit the target, fifteen are fatal shots (which is pretty good considering I'm using knives and not something more deadly), and nine hit the bulls-eye.

I look up at the Gamemakers. The Head Gamemaker, I think his name is Abraham Springle, looks at me, nods, and says, "Thank you, Jamal. You can go now."

I hope that was enough to impress the sponsors. It better be, if I want to win and escape my mom.

Dallas Woods (18) from District 2's POV

I am almost bouncing up and down in my seat, I'm so anxious to go in. I think I'm going to go crazy. I need to have my hands on those weapons!

Jamal and Amethyst already went. Jamal, I bet, will get a decent score – maybe an eight or a nine. I can't imagine Amethyst getting even an okay score. I haven't even seen her pick up a weapon since we've been here. All she's done is flirt with me.

Finally, the electronic voice speaks again. "Dallas Woods." I jump out of my seat and practically run into the room.

I'm going to have to do everything fast if I want to do it all. I go to spears first. I throw ten, and nine are bulls-eyes. Darn it! I've completely blown it. I better do swords next, to prove I'm not totally worthless.

I easily beat the trainer. Now I'm back on track. I go to knives and throw twenty. Nineteen are bulls-eyes. Ugh! Why does this have to happen to me? I must get the highest score.

I was only planning to do spears, knives, and sword fighting, but since that didn't really work out, I have to do something else. My eyes fall on a hundred-pound weight. I pick it up pretty easily and throw it.

I look up at the Gamemakers, expecting to see disappointment on their faces, but instead they are looking at me in awe. This goes on for a few seconds until the Head Gamemaker clears his throat and says, "You may go now, Mr. Woods."

I sprint out of the room. I needed to beat all of the tributes. Why didn't that one spear and that one knife hit the bulls-eye? Now my chances are basically ruined. I would be really disappointed if I got a ten. I wanted at least an eleven.

Alicia Swords (17) from District 2's POV

I go fourth out of twenty-four tributes for private sessions. I'm getting antsy because all of the Careers except for Jaymes have gone already.

They call my name, and I walk into the room. I'm angry that I had to follow Dallas, because he's really good, possibly the best one here, and I'm the second-best, so I shouldn't have to go right after him. He was lucky – he went right after Amethyst.

Archery is my thing. I mean, I'm multitalented, so I'm good with spears and knives, too, but I am an archer at heart. I just keep shooting. Bulls-eye after bulls-eye after bulls-eye. This is getting really boring. I feel like leaving.

I'm pretty sure they've gotten the idea that if I get my hands on a bow in the arena, I'll be a victor within a day. Dallas and I would be unstoppable together, him with his sword and me with my bow and arrows, and then in the final two, I'd shoot him, right in the heart.

It's only been a couple minutes since my private session started, but I think I've proven what I can do.

I look up at the Gamemakers expectantly for a few seconds until they realize that I am done. The Head Gamemaker dismisses me, and I walk out and go to my living quarters. I'm going to go talk to Dallas about the us-in-the-final-two thing.

Of course, I'll leave out the part about me killing him.

Arielle Scales (13) from District 4's POV

I am dreading this training session. All I will do is prove to the Gamemakers (and to everyone) again that I don't deserve to be a Career.

Voices swirl through my head. "You're not good enough to join with us," they say. "You're a disgrace to your district."

When Jaymes's name is called, I know that I'm after him. I wait for what seems like hours, until the voice says, "Arielle Scales." I get up, shaking, and walk into the Training Center.

I walk in, and I vaguely realize that the room seems so much bigger and so much emptier now that I'm the only tribute in it. I hear nothing but silence, and I tremble, feeling very intimidated.

I walk slowly over to the edible plants test and do it. I get most right, but I'm flustered so it isn't as high as I actually got in training. Believe it or not, I'm feeling a little bit more comfortable now that I did something. I realize it's only been a couple minutes and that I should probably do something else besides the edible plants test.

I decide to tie a knot. We did some knot tying back in 4, with fishnets and all. I tie a fairly easy knot, kind of impressive but definitely not as good as the other Careers using all of the dangerous weapons.

The knot is finished, I did a step wrong so I had to start over once, but the end result isn't bad.

The Head Gamemaker, Abraham Springle, looks down at me from the area above the Training Center and says, "Thank you, Miss Scales. You may go now."

I nod and walk out of the room.

What happened was what I expected.

Bennett Switch (16) from District 5's POV

After the small girl from 4 goes, maybe fifteen minutes after her name is called, my name is called and I go into the room. I'm not exactly sure what I should do. I spent most of my time in training with survival skills and Denver spent most of his time with weapons because we wanted to split up the work.

I go to the survival area of the Training Center. I build a decent shelter in a couple minutes. Then I go to the knot-tying station and start a complicated knot I haven't been able to master, not even in training. But I should try it – go big or go home.

It takes me maybe ten minutes, but I get it. I look up, so proud of myself, to find that half of the Gamemakers aren't even paying attention. And the ones that are barely even look impressed at all.

I guess everyone else is just so much better than me. Maybe I have less of a chance than I thought.

**Here is a recap of all of the other tributes' sessions whose POVs I didn't cover!**

**Amethyst: Used a bow and arrow (did an okay job), also did some camouflage**

**Hunter: Did the ropes course (didn't do a very good job) and made a shelter**

**Jade: Did the edible plants test (got them all right)**

**Jaymes: Used a trident (did an exceptional job) and threw spears and knives (did a good job)**


	9. Chapter 9 - Training Sessions, Part 2

Chapter 9

Aidan Sprint (17) from District 6's POV

I know that I can go into the Training Center and prove myself. They're going to be impressed with me. I know it. I've been training for forever.

It's kind of sad that I come from District 6. Think of how good I would have been if I had been from District 1 or 2. I would be a shoe-in to win.

But I can't change my past, and here I am, and I am ready to get the highest training score a District 6 tribute has ever gotten.

They call my name, and I get up and walk out of the room confidently, unlike every other tribute (except for the Careers), who shook as they got up and went into the Training Center as if they were dead already.

I can't wait to kill all of them.

I used to be almost scared to kill people, but now I'm more comfortable with the idea. If you want to win, you have to kill.

I walk into the room, which seems much more different now that there aren't 23 annoying tributes in it. I grin and jog over to the swords.

I go against the trainer, which is okay. I don't do my best that I have ever done, but it will still probably be enough to get the best score. Then I pick up a couple of heavy weights and throw them a couple of feet.

The Gamemakers (well, most of them) look down at me. I can't read their expressions. I can't tell if they're impressed or not. I'll take that as the fact that they're impressed. I even impressed myself.

The Head Gamemaker dismisses me and I leave happily. I can't wait to get a ten or maybe even an eleven!

But I'm even more excited for the arena.

Hazel Almond (16) from District 7's POV

I'm about to execute another plan. Another plan that Graham knows nothing about.

I'm an awful girlfriend.

Graham thinks that I'm going to go into my private session and throw an ax around. I could do that. I'd get a pretty good score.

But I'm not going to do that.

When Graham's name is called, I squeeze his hand to tell him good luck, and then I sit alone. Sitting alone is hard. It's uncomfortable, and it makes me feel very uneasy. I can't help wondering if this is what it feels like to be alone in the arena.

But I'll never find out because that won't happen. I will die and Graham will live.

While I'm thinking this, they call my name and I walk in. I see that the Gamemakers aren't yet drunk, but all of them are talking and laughing with each other instead of looking at me.

I stand still and look up at them impatiently. "Excuse me," I say loudly.

They finally turn and look.

"I am Hazel Almond," I say. "I'm sixteen years old and I'm from District 7. Instead of doing what you want and using weapons, which I could do because I'm trained with an ax, but I'm not going to, I'm going to _perform _for you."

I then take something out of my pocket, a plastic bag with a minuscule chip inside of it. The chip can play songs on it. I learned from my prep team's chatter that it was invented in District 3, but the Capitol takes credit for it. Something else I'd love to throw in their faces.

I start playing a song that describes what I'm feeling. It's about feeling lost and not knowing what to do, about being afraid. But it's also about being strong, about not giving up.

And I dance.

I first pull the hair tie out of my ponytail and let my hair down. Then I improv. I don't worry about what I'm doing because I know I'm expressing myself. I dance better than I ever have before. I know I'm showing great agility, but I don't care. I turn and leap and fly until the song ends.

The Gamemakers stare at me in shock.

"Oh, and don't worry about killing me off," I say. I wasn't planning this part. "I know you all want me dead now that I've done something _different_ than the average tributes. But that's fine. I'll be dead anyway. I plan to die, for my boyfriend Graham. He deserves to win. Maybe this year you'll actually get yourselves a decent victor."

With that, I flip my hair and walk out of the room without being dismissed.

I should cry and say I feel awful about what I did, start sobbing because I ruined whatever chance I had.

I don't.

Instead I smile.

Phoenix Thread (14) from District 8's POV

If the Hunger Games were a competition where the tributes had to design outfits and whoever designed the best one would live while the all the other tributes died, I would be the survivor. It's too bad that it's an actual fight to the death.

I am the fifteenth one to go out of 24 tributes, which I hate. The Gamemakers are probably bored by now. Oh, well – it's not like I'm doing anything interesting anyway. I'm sitting next to Raven, who's not talking to me (she was talking to her alliance until they all left) and I was sitting by the District 7 pair, who was talking and holding hands the whole time (we were seated by District, in case you hadn't noticed). That was very awkward.

The Gamemakers call me in about ten minutes after the girl from 7 went. I get a surprise, though. The Gamemakers, who I thought would be paying zero attention, are looking at me. They look disturbed. I wonder what the girl from 7 did to get them that way.

I take a deep breath and walk over to the camouflage station. When I lived in 8, I wanted to be a designer when I grew up, because I worked with fabrics so much. That dream is ruined, but the camouflage is the thing here that is closest to my hobby. I spent a lot of time in training there.

I paint both of my arms as a tree. It looks good, but since it takes a while, I don't have time to do anything else.

I hold my arms up for the Gamemakers to see, and the Head Gamemaker nods and dismisses me.

I won't get anything above a 5 for that, but it's not like I could do anything better than what I did.

I sigh and go up the elevator to my bedroom. I can't wait to wash all of the mud off my arms.

Austin Stocker (16) from District 10's POV

When my name is called, I take a deep breath and get up. "Good luck," I say to Celeste. She nods but doesn't say anything back.

This is it. If I don't get a good training score, there is no way for me to get good sponsors. My Tribute Parade debut sure doesn't have people lining up to support me, and something tells me my interview might have the same effect as the parade.

I step into the room. My talent is weights. Being from the livestock district, I had to lift sick and injured animals all the time. Not to mention building barns and shelters and all of that work.

I start with twenty pounds. I throw it at least twenty yards. Then I pick up the fifty-pound weight and throw it maybe ten or fifteen yards. Finally, I lift the one-hundred-pound weight and throw it about five yards. Not bad.

It hasn't been very long, so when I look up at the Gamemakers, Abraham Springle says, "Do you have any other skills you wish to show us?"

I shake my head. "No, sir."

"Very well," he says and makes a note on his clipboard. "You may go now, Mr. Stocker."

I think I blew it, only doing one skill. Oh, well. I wasn't going to win anyway.

Celeste Rodriguez (15) from District 10's POV

I timidly step into the Training Center room. Let's face it – I am scared to death of even this.

It doesn't matter anyway. The Gamemakers are all drunk and laughing and not paying one bit of attention to me. And I'm too shy to tell them to start paying attention, so I just walk over to the making-fires station.

In the fifteen minutes allowed, I am able to start a fire with sticks, flint, and rubber. It's about as impressive as starting fires can be.

A timer signaling fifteen minutes in the Gamemaker room dings, startling all of them.

"Thank you, Miss… uh, uh, Rodriguez!" the Head Gamemaker slurs. I roll my eyes and leave.

I'm going up the elevator when I hatch a stupid plan. I want life to be over. So why don't I just let myself get killed? Then who knows? Maybe I'll go to someplace better.

**Recap of all other tributes' private sessions**

**Poppy - did the ropes course and broke this year's record**

**McKayla - shot with a bow and arrow (did a decent job) and did the ropes course (did pretty well)**

**Graham - threw an ax (did an amazing job)**

**Raven - threw spears (did a good job) and shot with a bow and arrow (did a pretty good job)**

**Hayden - does the edible plants test (actually does pretty well)**

**Willow - made fires (did a good job) and edible plants test (gets almost all of them right)**

**Denver - used a sword (did an exceptional job) and threw knives (did a great job)**

**Lilac - did the edible plants test (did a good job) and hid for the rest of the session**

**Leo - threw knives (did a good job)**

**Stella - threw knives (did a great job)**


	10. Chapter 10 - Training Scores

Chapter 10

Willow Farmer (14) from District 9's POV

There is silence at the dinner table. With the six of us at the table (me, Hayden, Natasha, our mentor Rudy, and our stylists Avalon and Christo), no one talks. There is no need to. There is no more advice to be given. We've already done all we can do.

Tonight, the scores will be announced. Tomorrow is our last day in the Capitol, and Natasha and Rudy will coach us for interviews in the morning. Then, the whole afternoon will consist of my prep team getting us ready, manicuring me, fixing my hair and spray tanning me. (It will be a very long afternoon.) Finally, starting at 8:00 tomorrow night, are the interviews. Since each tribute gets three minutes to talk, the whole thing, with occasional breaks, will last about an hour and a half. We have to get to bed decently early after that, because the next morning, we have to get up early because we have to be transported to the arena. That could be the last day of my life. It will _probably _be the last day of my life, knowing me.

The day after tomorrow could be my last day. Wow.

I could be dead in less than two days. The very thought makes me shiver.

"What's wrong, Willow?" Natasha asks me. "Is it too cold in here? I could always turn the temperature up if you wanted me to."

"I'm fine, Natasha," I say. I'm just having thoughts of death. "But thanks."

I'm dreading the announcement of the scores. I guess I'm proud of what I did yesterday, but it's not like I'll get anything above a six. I thought I did a good job with the fires, and I got my high score on the edible plants test, but I'm sure there are tributes that used weapons so well that any thoughts of me were completely washed out of all of the Gamemakers' selfish minds.

We all finish our dinner, and we sit there without talking for a couple minutes, until Rudy checks his watch and jumps up. "Oh my goodness! The scores start in two minutes! We have to hurry!"

We all rush to the viewing room, where we watched the recap of the reapings and the recorded version of the Tribute Parade. It is also where we watched Rudy's Games and some others, to help us understand what it will feel like when we're in the arena.

The Games announcer, Evan Darling, appears on the screen. He is also the one who will be interviewing us tomorrow night.

"Ladies and gentlemen," he says. "Tonight I present you with the results of the private training sessions with the Gamemakers. Tributes are scored on a scale of 1-12 based on the skills presented in these private sessions. Good luck and may the odds be ever in your favor."

Hunter Albert (14) from District 3's POV

My heart beats quickly as Evan Darling says, "May the odds be ever in your favor," and then he disappears from the screen.

The boy from District 1's picture replaces the image of Evan. "From District One," Evan's voice says. "Jamal Gold, with a score of nine." Career tributes usually get amazing scores. Any score that is equal to or above 8 is considered amazing, at least to most people.

"Amethyst Diamond," Evan continues. "With a score of seven." It is a low score for a Career, even though it is above average. I bet she'll get some trouble from the rest of the Career pack about that.

"District 2," Evan says. "Dallas Woods, with a score of… eleven." Eleven? I didn't even expect that from Dallas. Anything above a ten is incredibly rare.

"Alicia Swords, with a score of ten." Yep, Dallas and Alicia both looked vicious. I'm praying I don't run into them in the arena.

My heart jumps when I realize I'm next. "From District 3, Hunter Albert," Evan says. "With a score of four." My heart sinks. A four is really low. I just ruined any chance I had of getting sponsors.

Jade is next. "Jade Scorpion, with a score of six." Not great, but still better than me. I feel like crying, but I don't cry because that would make me seem even weaker than I already do.

District 4 is next. "District 4, Jaymes Current, with a score of ten." I recognize Jaymes as the tall, tan boy who is skilled with a trident.

"Arielle Scales," Evan continues. That's the 13-year-old who got cut from the Career alliance. "With a score of three." I feel sorry for the girl, but I can't help but feel some relief. At least I scored better than someone.

"From District 5, Bennett Switch," Evan says. "A score of six." I don't remember him at all. I guess he was one of the boring tributes. But then again, I was probably one of the boring tributes.

"Poppy Light, with a score of seven." I remember her being fast. Maybe she did something with agility during her session.

"District 6. Aidan Sprint, with a score of seven." I remember him being cocky during training. I bet he thought he would get a higher score. I smile at the thought. That will shut him up.

"McKayla Carr, with a score of six." I think she's part of the alliance that Jade is in.

"From District 7," Evan says. Here's the dating couple. I'm interested to see what scores they get. "Graham Axel, with a score of eight." I'm impressed – that's a pretty high score for a non-Career.

"And Hazel Almond, with a score of… ten?" There is surprise in Evan's voice as he says this, and I can see why. She was fast in training, but she had to have some secret skill or something. A ten for a non-Career is almost unheard of! District 7 scored way better than I thought they would.

If a random girl from District 7 scores a ten, it is confirmed. I have no chance of winning these Games. Never did, never will.

Lilac Rosen (12) from District 11's POV

Evan moves on to District 8, as I sit, frozen, watching the projected image of the small boy. "Phoenix Thread, with a score of four." That's pretty low.

"Raven Silk," there's the redheaded girl. "With a score of seven."

"From District 9, Hayden Fields, with a score of four." There's another younger boy with a low score.

"Willow Farmer, with a score of six." That's a higher score than I anticipated from her, since she's so small. Oh, well. I guess I shouldn't be talking.

District 10 is next. "Austin Stocker, with a score of seven." Boring, boring, boring. All of these tributes are blending together in my head. I pay attention, though, because I know my score is coming up soon.

"Celeste Rodriguez, with a score of four." District 11 is up next! I listen intently.

"Denver Roots," Evan says. Denver leans forward excitedly. "With a score of ten." A ten! That's really high. Even though Dallas beat him. And he tied the boy from 4 and the girls from 2 and 7.

I'm next. I realize I'm shaking. "Lilac Rosen, with a score of…" I feel like time stops, and then he says, "Five."

I sit back, feeling a little deflated. It's kind of funny, because even though a five is considered the average score, I'm the only tribute tonight to get it.

I feel like leaving the room and hiding, but I stay to watch District 12. "And, finally, from District 12," Evan announces. "Leo Green, with a score of eight." It's another high score from a non-Career. Gosh.

"Last but certainly not least, Stella Canary, with a score of nine." Nine? This is crazy. I guess dating people are really good with weapons or something, because the pairs from 7 and 12 all got super high scores.

I go to my room and hide.

It seems like all I do these days is hide.

Leo Green (17) from District 12's POV

Feeling satisfied, I take what is probably my second-to last shower ever. I take a long time, because if it is my second-to-last shower, I want to enjoy it.

By the time I finish my shower and get dressed into my pajamas, Stella is sitting on my bed, clutching her pillow to her chest with a lost look on her face.

"What's wrong?" I ask her.

She snaps out of her daze immediately. "Nothing. Just thinking."

I sit down next to her. "About what?"

"The Games. What else is there to think about?" A half-smile appears on her face, she's trying to look brave, but I can tell that the smile isn't real.

"Stella. You can win the Games. You got a _nine_ in the training sessions, and you're good enough to join the Career pack. You have it in you to win. I know that. You deserve it. You would be a perfect victor."

A ghost of a smile creeps onto her lips. I know it's real this time because I can see it in her eyes. But as soon as it appears, it vanishes.

"I'm so scared," she says in a small voice. She sounds like a terrified little girl. My heart breaks for her.

"I'll be there to protect you," I say.

"But what if you die trying to save me? What happens then? Even if I win, even if I survive, I'll never be able to live with that. I'll always have the image of you dying in my head. And what happens if I die? What happens to you? There are just too many things that are bound to go wrong."

"But that's why we're allies! We're supposed to be there for each other. I would rather be there for you when you died than never say goodbye."

"I agree," Stella says. She gets up. Her voice isn't scared or weak anymore. She seems like she's decided on something. Before she says what she's about to say, her face twists up in pain and I wince. This won't be good.

"That's why I'm saying goodbye now." Her voice wavers when she says this, and I swear my heart skips a beat. I'm too shocked to talk, so she continues. "These last couple days have been some of the best, here with you. But after that, I know that I should die. You deserve to win. I don't want to bring you down from that. I don't want you living with the guilt. I don't want you to feel like you're responsible for my death. Thank you for being the best person in my life right now. I'm really grateful, I really am. And even though you may not believe me, I am going to do whatever I can to make you win. If I stayed with you, you will probably die. That will not happen. I will not watch that. I can't. I can't do it, Leo."

Tears are streaming down her face by now, but she doesn't look like she's reconsidering her decision. Her mind is made up. I just stare at her, dumbfounded.

"Goodbye," she says finally.

Stella takes her pillow and walks to the door. Before she walks out, she takes one last look at me.

I find my voice.

"Stella?" I say.

She just looks at me.

"Goodbye," I say.

She walks out.

I feel a drop of water land on my arm.

There's not a leak.

I am crying.

I am crying?

I don't remember crying.

I guess I am crying.


	11. Chapter 11 - Interviews, Part 1

Chapter 11

Amethyst Diamond (17) from District 1's POV

I was excited for the tribute parade, I was excited for training, but I was always the most excited about the interviews.

It is 7:45 p.m., and the live show starts in fifteen minutes. I am first, which is good because everyone pays close attention at the beginning, which means that everyone will see me being my fabulous self!

All of the tributes are sitting in a straight line in the front row of the theater-place where we're being interviewed. I'm mad because we have to sit in the order of when we're going, so I can't be next to Dallas. Alicia is instead. She really bothers me. She flirts with Dallas all the time, but it's kind of obvious that he likes me.

At least I'm happy with my appearance. I'll totally get sponsors. I'm wearing a short strapless dress with a sweetheart neckline and the dress is completely covered in jewels and sequins. The top of the dress is gold, and then in the middle the gold fades to platinum and by the time the sequins reach the bottom of the dress, it is silver. My long golden blonde hair is in loose curls and my skin is covered in glitter. And I'm super excited because my prep team touched up my diamond manicure! It's by far the best one I've ever had. I hope I get to keep it on in the arena. It will help when I'm talking to Dallas.

It's finally 8:00 (I've been waiting for this moment my entire life), and the interviews are ready to start! I anxiously bounce up and down in my chair. The next thing I know, Evan Darling is calling my name and I do my runway walk up onto the stage and to the interview chair.

I shake his hand and he says, "Amethyst Diamond. That's a beautiful name."

"Thank you, Evan," I say flirtatiously.

"Is there a background story behind that name?"

"Well, District 1 is the luxury district, so basically everyone is named either after a luxury item or a celebrity. For example, me and my two sisters, Emerald and Sapphire, are all named after our birthstones."

"Does this mean your birthday is in February?"

"Yep – February 14th. Valentine's Day." I wink at the audience.

"So, tell me. Are you in an alliance for the Games?"

"As a matter of fact, I am. We're sticking with the traditional Career pack, so the official alliance is me, Dallas, Alicia, Jamal, and Jaymes."

"This alliance will be the one that dominates the Games, right?" Evan asks knowingly.

"Of course!" I say enthusiastically.

"Have you become particularly close with any of your alliance members?"

"I mean, we're all really good friends, obviously, but Dallas and I have become really close over the past few days." I give a knowing smile to the cameras, and my buzzer goes off.

"Well, it was a true pleasure meeting you, Miss Diamond," Evan says, standing up.

I stand up too, and I would curtsy, but my dress is too tight so I just stand there with my award-winning smile and expensive outfit.

"One last time, Amethyst Diamond!" Evan announces, and the crowd cheers. I go back to the front row and sit down.

That went well.

Jade Scorpion (16) from District 3's POV

I'm not usually one to dress up and try to look pretty, but I have to admit, I'm really enjoying this. Everyone I've seen since my stylist put my dress on me has complimented me, and I will say, I'm surprised. After the whole problem with the Tribute Parade keyboard costume, my stylist actually redeemed herself.

I'm wearing a mint green fit-and-flare dress that goes to my knees and has thin straps at the top. There is a little belt with a mint green bow around my waist where the skirt flares out. The light color looks good with my tan skin and my long, jet-black hair is straightened and let down with nothing in it, so that it almost reaches my waist.

I'm fifth to get interviewed, so I wait through the Careers' snobby interviews to go. When it is my turn, I walk up and sit down.

My angle is elusive, and sly. That's what my mentor told me to go for – it comes naturally to me to hide all of my information.

"So, Jade, you're from District Three," Evan says. I nod. "What did you do back home?"

"Well, District Three is technology," I reply, "So I was really into inventing. I was planning to become an inventor someday, actually."

"What kinds of things were you planning to invent?" Evan asks.

"Well, I can't tell you that," I say mysteriously. "If I told you, other people would steal the idea and then it wouldn't be my invention."

"I can see your point," Evan agrees. "So, let's talk strategy. I hear you are in an alliance."

I smile. "Yes, I am. The Careers aren't the only ones who can work together. I am working with Poppy, McKayla, and Raven. We plan to have a female victor this year."

"Well, with that determination, I'm sure there will be!" Evan says. The crowd roars, and when they quiet down, he asks, "What do you plan to do, exactly, when you get inside the arena? What's your strategy?"

"I can't tell you that!" I say indignantly. "It would give me a disadvantage to reveal what I have in mind." That makes it sound like I have a huge surprise in mind. I don't.

The buzzer goes off. "Ladies and gentlemen, the very secretive Jade Scorpion of District 3!" I laugh along with the rest of the audience.

That was easier than I thought it would be.

Jaymes Current (18) from District 4's POV

I walk up and sit down in the interview chair. Evan shakes my hand, and I look out into the audience. There are so many people.

"So, Jaymes, from what I've heard, you're part of the Career alliance."

"Yes, I am."

"Now, exactly how close have you all become? What would happen if the five of you were in the final five?"

"I mean, we're all friends. But this is a game, and we all want to win. I don't think I could bring myself to kill Jamal. He and I have really connected, and we have a lot in common. If it wasn't for the Games, we would probably keep in touch for the rest of our lives."

"So if it was you and Jamal in the final two, you don't think you could kill him?"

I shudder at the thought. "No, I don't think I could." Out of the corner of my eye, I see Dallas roll his eyes and nudge Alicia. Great.

"Now, Jaymes, you are a very unique tribute," continues Evan. "You were reaped, you didn't volunteer like a typical Career tribute, but you are still part of the pack, yes? And you got a ten in training, so you are worthy of it?"

"Yes, correct. My only reason of not volunteering anyway was that I have three little sisters who need me to win. I want to win for them."

"So, for family reasons? What are your sisters like?"

"Well, there's Jenna, Josie, and Jaclyn. Jenna and Josie are twins, they're eleven, and Jaclyn is nine. They wouldn't be able to live if I died – we're really close."

"Well, I'm sure they will support you the whole way through," Evan says as the buzzer goes off. "Best of luck to Jaymes Current of District 4!"

I get more cheers from the crowd than I thought I would. I guess talking about my sisters got me some sympathy.

I wonder what my sisters are going through right now. It must be awful.

Poppy Light (15) from District 5's POV

I am very excited, because I convinced my mentor to go for the angle that I do best. In fact, my angle that I'm shooting for is basically the angle I've lived in for my entire life. I am going to be dramatic.

My stylist went for a more natural look, so people will remember my personality rather than my outfit. I do love the way I look, though. I'm wearing a bronze dress that matches the color of my hair exactly, with a gold belt and a gold ribbon along the hemline of the dress to match the golden streaks in my hair. I'm wearing gold flats, too. My hair is in an elegantly messy side fishtail braid to feature the different colors of my hair.

After Jaymes does his interview, it's my turn. I walk up confidently, with my shoulders back and chin up. My escort taught me how, but I already knew since I've done so many performances.

Evan kisses my hand, and I pretend to look starstruck. I'm going for sort of an innocent look as well as dramatic. I will appear like a dumb blonde (even though I'm not blonde), but the Capitol people love that sort of thing.

"Poppy Light," he says. "Such a beautiful name. It sounds very optimistic, like you are happy all the time. Is that true?"

"Well, I try to have a positive outlook on life, but sometimes it's hard. I guess I consider myself optimistic, but I don't think anyone could be more happy than McKayla over there." I point to her and she blushes, but laughs.

"Is that so?" Evan asks. I can tell he wants details.

"Oh, yes," I say. I launch into a full on McKayla impression. This is where my acting skills come in handy. "Yes, gosh, I'm just so happy today. Just watching the sunrise, you know, it just put me in a great mood. And, oh, my gosh, even though I'm being thrown in an arena to fight to the death, I just love the outfit I'm wearing today."

The crowd bursts into laughter. Even Evan laughs for a while. When this dies down, Evan says, "I take it you're close with McKayla." When I nod, he says, "Oh, yes, you're part of the all-girl alliance, correct?" I nod again.

"Yes, we're all really good friends. I can't even imagine how hard it would be to betray one of them; they're all amazing. I've had some hard times back home, and they've all really helped me to look past it." I wipe fake tears from my eyes, and Evan looks completely intrigued. He's about to ask for details when the buzzer goes off. The audience wails because they want to know what hard times I was going through, but no matter how dramatic I want to be, I don't want to share my personal problems with the world. The buzzer sounded at just the right time.

I sit back down in my seat, 100% satisfied.

I made an impression.

McKayla Carr (15) from District 6's POV

I feel like such a movie star! I think this is the prettiest I've ever felt. I am wearing a tight, sparkly red dress that has tiny straps and shimmers when I walk. I'm wearing matching heels and my dark brown hair is pulled up into an elegant bun. I have dangly diamond earrings.

This interview will be fairly easy, because the only advice my mentor gave me was "Be yourself." I'm going to gush, something I do frequently, but be humble about it. I will compliment the Capitol, talk about all the amazing people, and basically talk about everything I do on a regular basis.

The first thing Evan asks me is if Poppy's impression of me was accurate. "Dead on," I say, laughing.

"Is Poppy like that all the time?" he asks next.

I smile. "Poppy's amazing. She's a great actress, and she performed a lot back in District 5, from what I heard. She is a total drama queen, but I love that about her because she's such a fun person to be around."

"So if Poppy's imitation was dead on," Evan continues, "I expect you are enjoying your stay at the Capitol?"

I nod enthusiastically. "Absolutely," I say. "Everyone is so nice, the food is beyond amazing, and the buildings are so gorgeous… I'm so grateful for all of the luxuries I've been given!"

"What would you say is your favorite part about the Capitol?"

"Definitely the people. Everyone treats me like royalty here! I honestly feel like a princess! Like, I love this outfit so much – my stylist is amazing – and I've gotten so many compliments. When we were going to the interview today, someone literally stopped and asked for my autograph! And I swear, I almost died of excitement!"

Everyone laughs at how happy I am about this. "But the problem is… the Hunger Games."

"Yes," I say. "But anything can happen. And even if the victor isn't me, there are three other amazing girls who I would love to win. If I do die, at least I got to have all of these fabulous experiences before it. Think about it – I've worn beautiful clothes, eaten gourmet food, lived in riches, and I've made great friendships with all of these people. I feel like my life has been worth it."

As soon as I'm done with that grand statement, the buzzer goes off and I smile as the people cheer for me. Evan announces my name one last time, and I curtsy. Then I walk back to my seat, feeling proud of my interview.

**Recap of other interviews!**

**Jamal - talked about his friendship with Jaymes and his strategy of thinking positive**

**Alicia - talked about her favorite weapons and bringing pride to District 2**

**Dallas - was confident he would win, talked about what he would do when he won**

**Hunter - talked about winning for his dad**

**Arielle - talked about what she missed about District 4**

**Bennett - talked about his alliance with Denver and how his strategy is to be smart about everything**

**Next chapter will be the rest of the interviews! Then I'll have a filler chapter of what tributes are thinking before they go into the arena, then the 14th chapter will be the bloodbath! The action is coming up - keep reading!**


	12. Chapter 12 - Interviews, Part 2

Chapter 12

Graham Axel (16) from District 7's POV

I'm not used to wearing a suit. I hate it. It's so uncomfortable. If I were to win (which I won't, because I'm protecting Hazel), I would go back to District 7, where I wouldn't have to wear suits all the time.

Right now, I'm wearing a dark green suit with regular green accents to match Hazel's regular green dress. It's hard to walk in and just a pain in general.

Evan calls me up and I begin the painful walk up onstage. When I finally make it up there, I shake Evan's hand and sit down.

"Now, Graham," Evan says. "You got a great training score of an eight – how did that happen?"

"Well, I won't reveal any specific details," I say. "But let's just say I didn't showcase my real skills during the actual training. I waited until my private session with the Gamemakers."

"You got an eight – and your ally Hazel got a ten – they are both excellent scores. Are you planning on joining the Career pack?"

"I don't think so. Nothing against them – it would be an honor to join forces with them – but Hazel and I both think that we would benefit more if we operated alone. And besides, they haven't actually asked us to be their allies, so I don't think it will happen."

"About Hazel – you volunteered for her, correct?" I nod. "Would I be right in saying that you and Hazel are in a relationship?"

"Yes, we are dating."

"And you volunteered to protect her?"

"Yes. Hazel is an amazing girlfriend and an amazing person. She doesn't deserve to die, and I intend to do everything I can to make sure that she gets out of the arena alive."

The crowd sighs. I bet that will get us some sponsors right there.

The buzzer goes off, which concludes my interview. I walk back (more pain) and sit down in my seat next to Hazel and the girl from District 8, Raven. I squeeze Hazel's hand and she smiles.

I have to remind myself that this is my last (peaceful) night with Hazel. We'll be together in the arena, but that's different. The arena is full of people who want to kill both of us. That doesn't exactly count as peaceful, if you ask me.

That starts tomorrow.

Raven Silk (16) from District 8's POV

For the first time ever, I feel beautiful.

I never felt pretty back home, no one ever really thought about that kind of stuff anyway. It was mostly about working and surviving.

But people do pay attention to that kind of stuff in the Capitol. And, surprisingly, I'm actually very proud of the way I look tonight.

I'm wearing a dark purple dress made of silk, like my last name, but it's not completely just that, because it's textured a little bit. The color changes whenever the dress moves, it is reflected off of the light. It ranges from a midnight purple, almost black, to a regular violet. My red hair, usually tangled but straight, is curled to perfection, and it feels smooth and perfect.

I feel like a citizen of the Capitol. No, what I'm feeling is more than that. I feel like a fairy princess. All I need is wings.

My mentor is a drunk that has given me basically no advice, so I'm not really sure what my angle will be. I think I'm just going to be myself. I'll answer the questions honestly. I guess that's what I'm going for - honest.

Evan calls me up, and unlike the other girls, I don't wave to the audience as I walk onstage. I smile, but I don't wave. The Capitol people don't deserve to be waved to.

"Raven Silk," he says. "It's a pleasure to meet you."

"Thank you," I say. I don't say that it's a pleasure to meet him because that would be lying.

"So, Raven, what are you feeling right now?"

_Be honest_, I remind myself. "Very overwhelmed. I've never had so much food or clothes or anything in my life. And I don't really know what to think about the fact that I could be dead tomorrow. But I try not to think about that part."

I can see that he sees that I don't really want to talk about dying. "So you're part of the all-girl alliance," he says.

I smile. "Yes, I am. We plan to stick together through the whole Games."

"How sweet," Evan says. "Now, living back in District 8… what do you miss most?"

"My family," I say. "I have my mom, my dad, an older brother, and two younger sisters."

"Are you trying to win for them?"

"Absolutely," I say. _Keep it honest._ "I always would do anything for them. A couple years ago, when we were starving to death, we had no food, no anything, and everyone was too weak to even get up. I was the one who forced myself to go and look for food. I finally found it, and slowly, we kept from starving. But I've always been proud of that."

"Oh!" Evan exclaims. "I see we have a _survivor _here!"

The buzzer goes off, and we both stand up. "Let's hear it for Raven Silk from District 8, the _survivor_!"

I smile and the crowd cheers.

I sit back down. At least I was honest.

Am I a survivor? Do I have what it takes?

Hayden Fields (13) from District 9's POV

I am not looking forward to this interview at all. My mentor is really annoying. Everyone has an angle, right? Some people are cocky, some are secretive, some are humble, but my mentor wants me to be innocent.

I am the youngest boy here, so my mentor wants me to "take advantage of that" and make people feel sorry for me. As if that will get me sponsors. It will just make them even more positive that I won't win.

I even look like a small child. I'm wearing a light blue suit and my hair is combed back. It's really annoying me.

Evan calls me up, and I try to look scared as I walk up. "Hayden Fields," he says. "Did you work in the fields, in District 9? Like your last name?"

"No, I was too young," I say. "You had to be fourteen to work in the fields. And I'm thirteen, so I didn't make the cut."

Out of the corner of my eye, I see my mentor give me the thumbs up sign.

"Oh, yes, that's right!" Evan exclaims. "You're the youngest male tribute this year. How does that make you feel?"

I let tears gather in my eyes. "I'm so scared, Evan," I admit. "It's going to be really frightening, going into the arena with all of the older kids."

"I bet," Evan says. "But all of the people here will be supporting you, right, folks?"

With that, the crowd cheers. I guess I do have some sponsors.

I give a weak smile. "Thank you so much. I really appreciate everyone here's generosity. I'll need all the help I can get in the arena."

"And I'm sure you'll get it," Evan says. The buzzer goes off, and my interview ends. Thank God. That was awful.

Acting all innocent made me sick. Now everyone thinks I'm some weakling who needs a hundred sponsors to survive the Games.

I guess I did a good job of it, though, because as I'm walking back to my front-row seat, my mentor stops me and whispers in my ear, "Great job."

Denver Roots (18) from District 11's POV

I walk up to the stage where Evan awaits. I shake his hand and sit down. My angle is confident but not cocky. That's what my mentor and I agreed on, and that's what I plan to do.

"So, Denver, are you excited for tomorrow, when the Games start?"

"Yeah, I'm pretty excited," I reply. _Confident but not cocky, _I tell myself.

"Is there any specific reason you want to win the Games?" Evan asks.

"Yeah; I'd love to win for my family, particularly my sister Ria. She's only twelve years old, and she's everything to me. I want to go back to District 11 to take care of her."

The audience _awwww_s and I sit back in my chair, a little uncomfortable.

"About the Games," Evan changes the subject. "I hear you have an ally – Bennett Switch from District 5, correct?"

"Yes," I say. "He's more of the brains of the alliance and I'm the brawn."

"Brawn, you say? Well, I would assume so, you're one of the tributes who look as if they would have an extreme physical advantage." I nod. "Is there any particular weapon you prefer over others?"

"There's really no point in hiding this because everyone already knows it. I really like swords and hand-to-hand combat. Everyone knows this because I only just discovered it during our time at the Training Center. All the tributes watched me sword fight for the first time."

"Is that right?" Evan asks. "Now tributes," he says, looking down at the front row. "Is Denver good with swords?"

Most of them give enthusiastic nods, while Dallas and Alicia just roll their eyes.

"I hope we all get to see you use a sword tomorrow during the bloodbath, don't we?" The crowd roars with excitement.

"I hope so, too," I say, giving a wry smile.

The buzzer goes off, and I go back to my seat.

That wasn't that bad. At least I didn't ruin my reputation or anything. And everyone now knows that I'm handy with a sword.

Did I do the right thing?

Stella Canary (15) from District 12's POV

Most stylists try to make the Tribute Parade costumes and the interview outfits based on the main job of their district. (District 12 is coal mining.) My stylist did just that, but my Tribute Parade costume and interview outfit couldn't be any more different from each other.

At the Tribute Parade, it looked like I was glowing. I looked like I came straight from the insides of a coal mine. I was fierce and fiery and vicious. It was almost as if I had risen from the inside of a volcano. It was a costume that a victor would wear.

Tonight, I still represent District 12 and its coalmines, but I look different. I am still glowing, but it is not from fire.

I am wearing a gauzy yellow dress. My sheer butterfly-like sleeves reach just past my shoulders. The dress reaches to a little above my knee. The yellow embraces my tanned skin and makes my blue eyes pop. My hair is down in loose curls and while everyone has pounds of makeup on, trying to look pretty, I am barely wearing any. My stylist did that to showcase my "natural beauty".

I feel unstoppable.

When Evan says my name, I walk up and smile at the crowd. I'm suddenly glad that I'm wearing lip gloss instead of lipstick because the lipstick would get all over my teeth, and if that happened, I wouldn't really be able to give the audience a pretty smile.

"Stella, you look so beautiful tonight," comments Evan.

I smile. "Thank you," I say. "You should really be complimenting my stylist."

"Yes," he says. "Your Tribute Parade outfit was spectacular as well."

"Thank you," I say. "I was a bit scared of that one, but I loved it nonetheless."

The crowd laughs. Evan chuckles. "Well, tonight's dress doesn't look very scary."

"No, I'm not scared of it," I say. "In fact, this dress was meant to represent the yellow of the canary of the coalmine back in District 12. The canaries would sing all day. It's used as a sign of hope to the miners. It's also my last name, what I'm named after."

"Isn't that something!" exclaims Evan, and the audience cheers.

"Now, Stella, I can't wait any longer to ask you this," he says. I nod, giving him the go-ahead. "I heard a rumor a couple days ago that you and Leo, the male tribute from District 12, are dating. Can you confirm this?"

I take a deep breath. "Yes and no," I say. "Yes, your rumor was true. But no, we're not dating. We broke up last night."

Everyone gasps. How dramatic is this?

"Goodness," says Evan. "This is a shock. Can you give us details, or do you prefer not to?"

"Let's just say that I still love Leo. It wasn't him that was the problem; it was just… the situation we're in. We didn't want to inconvenience each other during the Games."

"So you aren't allies anymore?"

"That's correct. We're both going to be working on our own. I believe that both of us will benefit from it, and hopefully the victor will be one of us."

The buzzer goes off. "Well, best of luck to both you and Leo," Evan says. "In the Games and in your relationship."

I smile and nod, as if to thank him, and curtsy for the audience.

I sit back down. I can't help but look at Leo. I'm not surprised to see him looking right back at me. He gives me a small, sad smile and I return it.

"I'm sorry," I say. "But this is the way it has to be."

**Recap of other tributes' interviews**

**Aidan - talks about how he knows he will win**

**Hazel - refuses to reveal how she got a ten in training, talks about her relationship with Graham**

**Phoenix - talks about his past dream of being a designer**

**Willow - talks about how she wants to win for her family**

**Celeste - tells the story of how she became an orphan**

**Austin - talks about life in District 10 and how it helped to prepare him for this experience**

**Lilac - convinces everyone that just because she's the youngest tribute doesn't mean she doesn't have a chance**

**Leo - talks about his training score and his breakup with Stella**

**One more chapter before the bloodbath! Remember to read and review! Also, vote on the poll on my page! Save your favorite tributes from death - you're running out of time!**


	13. Chapter 13 - Day of the Games

**Sorry I haven't updated in a while! I've had Nationals for the past couple days, but it's over so I can get back to writing! Remember to review and vote in the poll on my page!**

Chapter 13

Alicia Swords (17) from District 2's POV

I wake up in an excited mood. The most excited I've ever been, actually. Today is going to be the best day ever! No, it won't. The best day ever is going to be when I win!

I jump out of bed and sprint into the dining room. "Gosh, Alicia," says Dallas, who of course is already up with a huge grin on his face. "Save all your energy for the arena!"

"Oh, whatever," I say, and get myself a big breakfast, because the food that's available in the Games won't exactly be luxurious.

"So, no matter what the arena is like, we'll run up to the Cornucopia, take a bunch of weapons, kill a bunch of people, you get the idea…" Dallas continues. "Then we'll camp out there for the rest of the Games, like the Careers always do every year."

I nod. "Sounds like a plan."

Dallas says, "I was wondering… if you wanted to have sort of an alliance within our other alliance. Like, just us two. We won't betray the pack or anything, we won't run off by ourselves, but if one of us has to kill someone within the alliance, we won't kill each other."

"I like that," I say. Perfect – my best friend in these Games is the largest threat. This is great – it's guaranteed that he won't kill me, unless we're the final two. Which will probably happen. "But in case that does happen, we have to kill someone in the alliance, who would it be?"

He thinks for a moment. "Amethyst first," he says mischievously. I laugh. "Then probably Jamal, then Jaymes, and then it'll be us two. And I'll kill you."

"Hey!" I exclaim.

"Just kidding," he says, laughing.

The problem is, I know he's not kidding.

Graham Axel (16) from District 7's POV

Right now, I'm really nervous. Like, really, really nervous. Hazel can tell because she asks me every five seconds if I'm okay. I tell her that I'm fine, but we both know full well that I'm not.

But, nonetheless, this little game, where she asks me if I'm okay and I say yes, goes on for like, fifteen whole minutes during breakfast. At least, until we have to get all of the last-minute advice from our mentors.

Hazel and I say goodbye to each other because if we're on different hovercrafts, we won't see each other until the bloodbath.

"In case we don't see each other until we get in the arena," I say. "Goodbye."

"Goodbye," she says. "Oh, and remember – find each other immediately and don't go up to the Cornucopia. And if there's some sort of forest or woods, don't look for each other, just know to run there."

I nod. District 7 had a lot of woods, because it is the lumber district. We need to cut down trees for lumber.

"I love you," I say.

Hazel smiles. "I love you, too," she says, and we go our separate ways.

I find my mentor, Benn, and he leads me outside to where the hovercraft is parked. In the distance, I can see other tributes boarding it.

Since I'm with Benn, I imagine Hazel is with our escort, Shimmer. Isn't that a stupid name?

"So, I hear you have a plan to protect Hazel in there, and you'd die to save her?"

I don't know how he found that out, but I say, "Yes, that's right."

"Well, I'm not supposed to tell you this, I don't even think I was supposed to find out, but Hazel has the same plan, for you."

My heart sinks. How am I supposed to die to save Hazel when she wants to die to save me?

"Well, I guess we'll see what happens." I say. I try to sound confident, but it doesn't turn out that way.

"Remember, Graham," he says. "Be smart. Make sure one of you wins. You two have it in you, I know that. But most of all," Benn says. He leans in to whisper in my ear. "Do what's right."

I nod. "Good luck," he says. "And may the odds be ever in your favor."

He grins at me, and I give him a nervous smile back as I board the hovercraft.

Lilac Rosen (12) from District 11's POV

I woke up shaking, I ate breakfast shaking, I boarded the hovercraft shaking, and guess what? I'm still shaking.

My escort said goodbye to me before I got on the hovercraft. It wasn't a very emotional goodbye, because I know she didn't try to get close to me because she knew I would die. My mentor said goodbye to Denver instead of me because everyone knows that while Denver actually has a chance of winning the Games, I most certainly do not have a chance of winning.

I suppose they split the tributes up between two hovercrafts, because there are twelve tributes total in the vehicle that I'm in. I also suppose that these are the people that our pedestals will be by at the bloodbath because the hovercraft takes us to our Launch Rooms, which our pedestals are connected to. Because of this, I take a look around to see who's here and who isn't.

The other people on my hovercraft are Jamal from 1, Dallas from 2, Jade from 3, Arielle from 4, Bennett from 5, McKayla from 6, Hazel from 7, Phoenix from 8, Willow from 9, Celeste from 10, and Leo from 12. There's one tribute from each district.

Before we take off, a Capitol attendant goes around and inserts trackers in all of our wrists. I wince as they jab me with the needle carelessly.

Then the vehicle starts to fly. Even through the circumstances are gloomy, I enjoy the flight. I've never flown in anything before – we got to the Capitol by train, and in District 11, we either hitched rides on trucks full of crops or walked where we had to go.

I think to myself that I won't win. I make one final wish, though – I don't want a Career to win. If a non-Career wins this year, that will be just as good as living for me.

The ride can't be more than ten or fifteen minutes. We finally land and are led to our Launch Rooms.

I'm still shaking.

Hayden Fields (13) from District 9's POV

I walk into the Launch Room, terrified. I could die in the next hour. The suspense looms over me like a rain cloud during a thunderstorm, and crazy thoughts of death fall from it like the rain.

What will the arena be? A forest? Will it be a tropical island? Who knows?

My stylist, Avalon, is waiting for me in the Launch Room. The arena outfit that everyone has to wear is a simple white T-shirt with a black jacket and pants. Avalon doesn't know what to make of this because the fabrics and design don't give any hints whatsoever of what the arena will be like.

"I guess they just want you to face the elements yourselves, without any protection," says Avalon as she zips up my jacket.

I roll my eyes. Great. How exciting! I won't have any protection.

A robotic voice informs me that there is one more minute until I have to get on the pedestal that will take me to my death.

I could be dead in five minutes.

This is when I start to panic.

"Hayden," Avalon says to me, in an attempt to calm me down. "Good luck. Be smart and remember everything Rudy told you. It was really nice meeting you. I hope you do well, I really do."

Avalon tries to be nice, but I can tell that she knows I won't survive. She doesn't tell me, "You can win this thing," or, "I know you have it in you." She just told me good luck and that it was nice to meet me.

Thirty more seconds. I'm not even aware of myself right now, just the faint buzzing inside of my head.

Twenty seconds. My adrenaline is already pumping through my body like the lightning from the rain cloud of death.

Ten seconds. Avalon helps me step onto the platform since I'm basically in shock.

The openings around the platform close, and I gasp. Avalon waves goodbye to me sadly.

That part was the thunder.

**I know that chapter was short and boring, but I felt like I had to include it. Next chapter is the bloodbath! (I'm so excited!) PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE vote in the poll! If you want your favorite tribute to survive, tell me by voting! I'm starting the chapter now, so hurry up!**


	14. Chapter 14 - Day 1, Part 1 (Bloodbath)

**Wow. My longest chapter yet. The bloodbath. I have been looking forward to this chapter ever since I started this story. And here it is. Wow.**

Chapter 14

McKayla Carr (15) from District 6's POV

I look around anxiously, first at the arena and then to all of the members of my alliance. The arena has everything you can possibly imagine. There's a forest behind me and to my right. Right behind me is a desert. Next to the desert is a beautiful meadow with green grass and flowers. The meadow is next to a ruined city with many buildings, which is next to a jungle. The jungle connects to the forest. From what I can see, the Cornucopia is right in the center of the arena.

I'm next to Leo from 12 and Willow from 9. Jade is three pedestals to my right, Poppy is five pedestals to my left, and I can't see Raven. I look at them and tilt my head towards the meadow. They both nod. Poppy cranes her neck to her left, and I can see Raven out of the corner of my eye, nodding her head.

Our plan is simple. We already figured out where we're going – the meadow. Now, we each have a partner – I'm with Jade and Poppy and Raven are together – and we always wait for our partner, so even if the two pairs lose each other, we'll always have someone. Now, Poppy and I are going to run up to the Cornucopia to get supplies because we're the fastest, and Jade and Raven will run towards the meadow but wait for us. When one of the partners runs back, the other partner will then run into the meadow. Hopefully, the four of us will find each other soon.

Everyone stands there for a couple seconds, and then Evan Darling's voice is heard. "Ladies and gentlemen, let the 127th Annual Hunger Games begin!"

Sixty seconds. I can do this.

Bennett Switch (16) from District 5's POV

Sixty seconds. Sixty seconds. Sixty seconds.

I am thrilled to find that Denver is only two pedestals away from me. He turns his head slightly towards the ruined city behind us, and I nod. The city will be good because we can use the buildings to hide, and who knows? Maybe some supplies will be hidden in them.

Our plan is this – I will run towards the city and find a good place to hide, while Denver goes to the Cornucopia to get weapons and supplies for us. I feel certain that we will both survive.

I can't imagine many people will go to the city. I bet lots of people will go to the forest, or the meadow. I doubt people will go to the desert, or the jungle, for that matter. I assume the Careers will camp out by the Cornucopia, like always. I hope none of them kill Denver.

I look up at the clocks that are displayed, showing how many seconds we have left until the fighting begins. I read "45".

Forty-five seconds. Forty-five seconds. Forty-five seconds.

Arielle Scales (13) from District 4's POV

I see something that scares me, something that could mean death for a lot of people. I see the different areas: the ruined city, the jungle, the forest, the desert, and the meadow. I know immediately I need to go to the forest. I can climb trees easily, and I know that will be the best location for me.

The problem is that I will need to run to the forest because it's almost all the way across the Cornucopia area. I'm next to Jamal and Hayden, with the meadow right behind me. I'll still have to run and possibly die.

What scares me is that every single weapon I see is directly at the Cornucopia. All of the supplies, the water, everything, is at the Cornucopia. Nothing is scattered around like it usually is. You either go to the Cornucopia to get supplies but risk death or get an almost certain survival but absolutely no protection. Neither decision is great, but in the end… the choice is mine.

Hunter Albert (14) from District 3's POV

Fifteen seconds left. I could be dead in a minute.

I'm going to the jungle. It's right behind me. I'll do anything to avoid death.

Ten seconds. What will be in the jungle?

Nine seconds. I hope there won't be vicious animals or anything.

Eight seconds. At least, I'll probably survive the bloodbath.

Seven seconds. I think so. I don't know. I'm pretty fast. I can run to the jungle.

Six seconds. Can I?

Five seconds. I think I can.

Four seconds. This is important.

Three seconds. My heart is beating so loud that all of Panem can probably hear it.

Two seconds. This is for my dad.

One second. Do it for your dad, Hunter. You can't let him be alone. It will break him.

The horn goes off.

I run.

Celeste Rodriguez (15) from District 10's POV

I know what to do.

I sprint up to the Cornucopia.

I forget about Austin, my so-called ally. I forget about everyone else in the arena.

All I'm thinking about is me.

My parents are dead. Everyone I love is dead. No one will care if I die. I won't even care if I die. Inside, I'm dead already.

I find that I'm decently fast when I'm about to die. I reach the Cornucopia. I rummage through a pile, throwing stuff to my side when I finally find what I'm looking for.

I find a package of poisonous berries.

_Warning,_ it says on the label._ Consumption will cause immediate death._

No tribute would be stupid enough to eat these. They're supposed to be used to trick other tributes, to make them think they're edible.

I'm not stupid. But I'm done trying to be smart.

I don't care anymore.

I take a deep breath.

I put the berries in my mouth.

Jamal Gold (17) from District 1's POV

I run faster than I've ever run before. I run like my life will depend on it. Which is actually the case.

The Careers' plan is smart. We all run to the Cornucopia and get weapons. Dallas, Amethyst, and I will stay at the Cornucopia and try to kill anyone who tries to get supplies, and Alicia and Jaymes will run farther out and kill people who try to run away.

I don't want to kill. But this is a game. Kill or be killed. And I sure would rather kill than be killed.

I reach the Cornucopia. As I'm pulling a couple of spears out of the ground, I see the girl from 10 out of the corner of my eye. I see her put berries in her mouth. She immediately collapses to the ground and my heart jumps.

I just saw someone die.

I focus. Dallas has a raging look in his eyes. He is already trying to kill, and I see him shove a spear through a girl's stomach. I think she's from District 6. She's the one who smiles too much.

I run over to where Amethyst is standing with a couple of knives. She throws one at the girl from 4, but she misses. In fact, she misses so badly that it hits the small guy from 9 right in the heart. I would be impressed if she wasn't trying to get the boy in the first place.

"Darn!" she exclaims. "I wanted the girl."

"Here," I say. "I'll get her."

Without thinking, I run to the girl, the redheaded one who we kicked out of our alliance, and stab her with the spear. She falls to the ground. I almost throw up.

I just killed someone. It's the girl from Jaymes' district. I will never forgive myself.

I am a killer.

Phoenix Thread (14) from District 8's POV

I am freaking out. I was trying to run to the forest, and I started to, but then halfway there I had this really weird thought that I should go to the desert instead because it was originally right behind me, even though I was closer to the forest anyway. (I guess I don't think very logically when I'm in danger of death.) So, for some reason, I started running to the desert.

I just want to let everyone know, I'm a horrible runner. Like, I'm not fast at all.

I'm being chased. The boy from District 4, Jaymes, is chasing me. He got a ten in training and now he has two tridents and a couple knives with him.

He throws a knife at my head. I crash to the ground to avoid it and it whizzes over my body. I get back up and start running again. This time Jaymes throws the trident. I know from training that this is his best weapon.

Because of this, I don't have time to duck.

I feel the worst pain I've ever felt when the trident sinks into my back. I collapse, and I can't move. I can't do anything anymore.

I begin to see spots, and soon my vision turns black. There is so much pain that I am numb. I don't even feel the pain anymore.

This is what it feels like to die.

Poppy Light (15) from District 5's POV

I don't think anything but _run_. I don't think I've ever run this fast, not even when I broke the record on the ropes course during my private training session.

Don't get me wrong – I care about my alliance. I would be heartbroken if any of them died. But right now, I am only thinking about myself. And Raven. Raven is my second priority since we're partners.

At the Cornucopia, I grab two spears for Raven. I don't get any weapons for McKayla because she's getting her weapons for herself and I don't want to weigh myself down. I also get a jug full of water and a couple packages of food.

I sprint back to the place where Raven and Jade are, by the edge of the meadow. They are so far away from the Cornucopia that they probably can't even see what's going on.

All I can think is, _Go to the meadow. Go to the meadow now. _

I reach Raven and the two of us run and run and run into the meadow until we can't run anymore. I can't see the Cornucopia or Jade. I can only assume we're safe. We start to walk.

Vaguely, the thought crosses my mind that I never saw McKayla at the Cornucopia. Oh, well. I saw her run to it. At least she did what she was supposed to.

She'll survive. She's fast.

Dallas Woods (18) from District 2's POV

This is the best feeling in the world. I feel energetic, running my heart out and stabbing people. All of the dead people around me make me feel even more alive, more alive and alert than I already am.

I've already killed the skinny girl from 6. Coincidentally, I'm currently engaged in a sword fight with the other tribute from 6, the boy. He's the cocky one. He's so obnoxious. Other people may see me as cocky and obnoxious, but at least I have the right to be that way. I've worked so hard to become so good, and I feel like I deserve to celebrate. I've been dedicating my whole life to this moment, after all. And here I am. I'm enjoying it.

I finally stab him in the stomach and he falls to the ground. He starts moaning.

"That's what happens when you're so arrogant!" I shout. All of Panem can hear me. Perfect.

A wave of excitement rushes through me. I can't help it. For every person that is killed (especially the ones that I kill), I am one step closer to the victor's crown. I can taste the victory now.

I can't be having these thoughts right now! I have some killing to do.

Denver Roots (18) from District 11's POV

I grab everything I need. This is a couple swords, some knives, some water, and a couple food packages. I don't get a tent or anything because if we're in the ancient city, we'll have shelter. That's one of the perks about going there.

I'm running to the city right now. I don't see Bennett, but I saw him running there right when the horn went off. I know that he's not dead, that he's in the city somewhere. I'll find him.

There's one problem. The boy from 10, Austin, is running right beside me. Normally, I would run with him, maybe ask him into the alliance with Bennett and I, because he seems like he would be a good fit for it.

The problem is, he throws a knife at me. Yeah, that just about ruins any chance I had of becoming allies with him.

I barely dodge the knife, and suddenly, I know what I have to do. I don't even think about it. I just know that I have to kill him, if he's putting my life in danger.

I grab one of my knives and throw it without hesitation. It pierces his neck and he goes down.

I don't look back. I just run. I run away from everything, from the boy I just killed, from the place where several dead bodies are lying on the ground and where five Careers are standing over them with evil grins on their faces.

I just run.

Jade Scorpion (16) from District 3's POV

I wait. I wait and I wait and I wait some more.

McKayla doesn't come.

I start running towards the Cornucopia. I don't care what danger it brings me, but I have to see what's going on, if she's there.

There's a sinking feeling in my heart. Somehow I know that she's dead, I know that I should go back to the meadow. But I can't. I know that it doesn't take eight minutes to run to the Cornucopia and back. I have to see it for myself.

I'm so focused on the Cornucopia and what's happening. I can just make the Cornucopia out. I can see bodies on the ground. I can see a couple people running in the distance. I squint to see McKayla. But I don't see her.

I'm so concerned about McKayla that I don't notice the girl from 2 that's right beside me.

I look over and gasp.

With an evil grin, she aims her bow.

And she shoots.

The arrow sinks into my heart. I feel so much pain and I just want to die now. The world is going black and I can't even think.

Hazel Almond (16) from District 7's POV

Safe. Safe. Safe. I am safe. The thought pounds in my head with every step I take. I'm not dead. I'm not dead. It's too good to be true. And Graham is not dead. That is even better. I did it. I protected Graham. We are both alive. This seems too good to be true.

We ran to the forest, as promised with each other. We are currently walking to find a good tree to camp out in. We will both be on the lookout because I'm sure a good majority of the tributes went to the forest. You never know what could be in the jungle, the desert is too open to hide in, the ruined city is too unpleasant and probably dangerous, and the meadow just seems too… happy for the Games.

Graham and I finally find a tree with two huge branches. He starts climbing first, and once he is up there, I climb. We've had lots of experiences climbing trees in District 7, since there are so many of them around.

Once we're settled, we sit there, talking quietly, until the bloodbath cannons go off.

One. Two. Three. Four. Five. Six. Seven. Eight.

Eight. Eight people I knew just died.

But all I can think is, _Thank goodness it's not Graham. Or me._

**Deaths**

**Jade Scorpion (16) from District 3 - shot by Alicia (bow and arrow) **Okay, originally I didn't have Jade dying. But she was kind of a boring character and with the way the story worked out, the death seemed right.

**Arielle Scales (13) from District 4 - speared by Jamal** I know I'll get a lot of crap for this. In the beginning, her death was certain to me, and as the story went on, I seriously considered letting her live. So, I'm sorry.

**McKayla Carr (15) from District 6 - speared by Dallas **I would totally be best friends with this girl in real life. She was such a great person and I feel awful for killing her. But she died trying to get things for her friends, which I feel is right.

**Aidan Sprint (17) from District 6 - stabbed in the stomach by Dallas (sword) **I don't feel bad for killing Aidan. That's what he gets for thinking he can beat Dallas in a sword fight. Good riddance.

**Phoenix Thread (14) from District 8 - was speared by Jaymes' trident **Eh. I tried to kill off boring people. Phoenix never would have won the Games. But he would have been a darn good designer if he did.

**Hayden Fields (13) from District 9 - hit by Amethyst's knife **How sad is that, that Hayden died when Amethyst wasn't even trying to get him? Anyway, Hayden seemed like a total weakling. He was nice, but... also, it was a pain because I always mixed Hayden and Hunter up. Now Hayden's gone and there's only one young guy whose name starts with H!

**Celeste Rodriguez (15) from District 10 - ate poisonous berries on purpose **Celeste wouldn't have let herself win. Her death was right and now she'll join her parents in a place better than Panem :)

**Austin Stocker (16) from District 10 - hit by Denver's knife **I felt bad for Austin. He was abandoned by his ally and then Denver killed him. But he was boring, so yeah.

**Placings**

**24th: Celeste Rodriguez**

**23rd: McKayla Carr**

**22nd: Hayden Fields**

**21st: Arielle Scales**

**20th: Phoenix Thread**

**19th: Aidan Sprint**

**18th: Austin Stocker**

**17th: Jade Scorpion**

**Remaining Tributes/Alliances/Locations**

**Amethyst/Jamal/Alicia/Dallas/Jaymes: By the Cornucopia**

**Hazel/Graham: Forest**

**Poppy/Raven: Meadow**

**Denver/Bennett: Ruined City**

**Hunter: Jungle**

**Willow: Forest**

**Lilac: Meadow**

**Stella: Forest**

**Leo: Desert**

**Okay. Whew. Next chapter will be the first night in the arena. Remember to read and review! I am updating the poll so even if you've already voted, you can vote again! Thanks for reading this far! ;)**


	15. Chapter 15 - Day 1, Part 2

Chapter 15

Amethyst Diamond (17) from District 1's POV

Overall, today was a pretty good day. Honestly, it started out awful because the arena outfits are hideous! Ew! Like, there's no bling on it at all. I don't think I've ever worn anything without sparkles on it. But then the day turned better because I got a kill! Even if I wasn't trying to kill the person I killed, I still killed a boy! I can't wait to tell Dallas. He'll be so impressed.

Right now, all of the Careers are standing in a circle by the Cornucopia. We're organizing all of our weapons and supplies. We've already heard the eight cannons, so once we've sorted everything out, we sit down and try to figure out who all is dead.

"I got both from District Six," Dallas says proudly. I'm pretty sure he's the only one with more than one kill.

"I killed the girl from District Three," Alicia says. "She was running towards the Cornucopia like an idiot, ten minutes after the freaking bloodbath. I was like, 'Uh, you're a little late.' How stupid can you get?"

We all laugh, because that's pretty funny.

I don't want to wait any longer to announce my accomplishment. "I killed the boy from District Nine!" I say excitedly. Everyone looks at me in shock. I guess no one really expected me to actually kill someone. Well, I proved them wrong.

"Good job, Amethyst," says Alicia.

"Thanks!" I say, beaming.

"I got the boy from Eight," says Jaymes. He sounds almost ashamed of it, like he wasn't proud to kill him. I wonder why, Jaymes is pretty talented with weapons.

"I killed the girl from Four, Arielle," Jamal says. His tone matches Jaymes'. What is with all of these people feeling guilty? "The one that we kicked out of our alliance," he clarifies.

"Nice," Dallas said. "So we all got a kill. Except for me. I got two." I smile at him, letting him know I'm happy for him.

"But that's only six people," Jaymes says. "There are two more."

"I saw the girl from District Ten kill herself," Jamal says quietly. "She ran up to the Cornucopia and ate poisonous berries."

We all sit in silence, not quite sure what to say about that, and then I break it. "What about the other one?"

No one speaks up. "I guess we'll just have to wait until tonight to see who it is," says Alicia, and we nod.

Stella Canary (15) from District 12's POV

I did it. I survived. I don't even believe it. But the problem is, I have nothing. I didn't want to risk going to the Cornucopia, so I just ran off with nothing. Thank goodness I was close to the forest. The forest is the smart place to go – there are lots of trees to hide in, which is easy camouflage. But I bet a lot of tributes went in the forest. I haven't seen any yet, though.

I decide I need to go deep into the forest, where it will be hard for the Careers to find me. I keep walking until it starts to get darker outside. Then I find a good tree and climb it until I reach the top.

I can see a lot from here. I see most of the forest (this is one of the tallest trees of all), part of the desert (I must be on the eastern side of the forest), and the land where the bloodbath was held. I can just make out the Cornucopia, and I think I see some figures by it. Those must be the Careers, because usually they're by the Cornucopia. I can't imagine anyone would be brave enough to take them out to claim it for their own.

It is just now that I realize how thirsty I am. My tongue is dry and I feel weak, but I tell myself not to focus on that. I'll need to get used to it if I want to last a long time in the Hunger Games.

I am perched on the tree. No one will be able to see me up here, and even if they do, they'll never be able to kill me if I'm up here. Dallas may be able to beat me in a sword fight, but he could never climb a tree.

I begin to wonder about Leo. What if he was one of the eight that died? If he died, I didn't protect him. I've barely even talked to him since we broke up.

I'm beginning to regret calling off our alliance. I understand now what Leo meant about me being there when he died. I would much rather be there to help him through it than not be there at all.

They could show his face in the sky tonight. The thought hits me like a brick.

And I realize that, if they don't show his face, if he isn't dead, I need to find him. Because I can't let him die like that.

If that is the case, I will begin my search tomorrow.

Leo Green (17) from District 12's POV

I feel stupid.

At the bloodbath, all I wanted was to survive. So, I panicked and ran straight behind me, which happened to be the desert.

The only good thing about going to the desert is that there are absolutely no tributes here. This is because none of them are stupid enough to go to a place where there are no hiding spots.

So here I am. I have run for hours and I am about to collapse. I think I'm a good several kilometers from the nearest tribute, so I'm pretty sure I can sit down to rest. It's getting dark, anyway.

This thought makes me shiver with fear. The fact that it's dark signals the playing of the anthem. And that means that the faces will be shown in the sky.

My heart jolts. _Calm down,_ I tell myself. _You're alive. And that's all that matters._ That's not all that matters, though. I know that I'm not dead, but I don't know that Stella's not dead.

_It's her fault anyways,_ a voice in my head says. _She's the one who abandoned you and called off the alliance._ But I know deep down that I can't stop caring about Stella. If she has died, especially without me being there, I will be damaged for as long as I live.

My body aches from the exhaustion of running for that long, and I can barely keep my eyes open because I didn't get any sleep last night – I was too worried. But I stay awake, for Stella's sake. If she has died, I will want to see her at least one last time.

There are eight people that are dead. I counted the cannons, even though I was running. It makes me feel sick to my stomach. Eight people that I knew just died. Even if I didn't know them well, I probably said something to them at one time or another. Even if what I said was a stupid comment about how annoying a trainer was or a question about which berry was edible or something, their losses will still pain me and haunt me forever.

A current of nervousness shoots through me when the Panem seal flashes in the starry sky. I can see everything very clearly, since there are no trees or anything to block my view. In fact, there is nothing at all for miles.

The anthem starts to play, and I can feel it through my body, vibrating a depressing tune.

_Please not Stella. Please._

Raven Silk (16) from District 8's POV

The anthem starts to play, and my heart jumps. I clutch Poppy's hand, and we prepare for the worst.

The first face to appear is the last one we would want to appear. _Jade Scorpion,_ it says. _District Three._ She's smiling, which is rare for her. Her silky hair is shining, and I catch one last glimpse of her before her picture disappears.

Poppy squeezes my hand. There are tears running down her cheeks. I don't know if there are tears running down my cheeks. I'm too numb to tell.

_Arielle Scales, District 4._

_Aidan Sprint, District 6._

Poppy squeezes my hand so hard I think it will fall off, but I don't care. And then our worst fears are confirmed.

_McKayla Carr, District 6._

I know we're supposed to be quiet, but I don't blame Poppy when she lets out a sob. McKayla is smiling, like always. I will never see that smile again. She was the one that started our alliance. I take one last look at McKayla before she's gone forever.

I barely even pay attention to the rest of the names that are shown. I can only think about Jade and McKayla. But I try to think about the others' deaths, because it will only end up helping me.

_Phoenix Thread, District 8._

_Hayden Fields, District 9._

_Austin Stocker, District 10._

_Celeste Rodriguez, District 10._

The anthem stops playing, and the Capitol seal disappears. I feel like I've just died myself.

_Be strong._

_Be strong._

_Be strong._

I'm trying to be strong, and it's not easy. But I have to, for Poppy, and for my survival.

I take a deep breath, and move on. Now I have extra fire in me, fire that will push me to win. I have to win for Jade and McKayla.

Jaymes Current (18) from District 4's POV

I go through the motions blindly, say everything without thinking, but I can't help it. The only thought in my brain is that I killed a living person. I killed someone. It makes me sick. How could I be so cruel?

These people around me, they are so proud of their kills (with the exception of Jamal) and I wonder, _how?_ I am so far from proud right now.

I finally am able to snap back to reality by the time Dallas says, "Hey, let's go tribute hunting!"

Amethyst and Alicia cheer, but Jamal asks, "Why now? Shouldn't we be hunting in the daytime?"

"Well, we won't cover that much land," Dallas says, "And besides, why not? We will hunt in the daytime too."

Great. That's just what I wanted – more killing.

"We can go to the jungle," suggests Alicia. "It's probably the smallest area of land in the arena, and I saw at least one tribute go in there."

"Sounds good," Dallas agrees. "Okay, who wants to stay guard? Three of us can go and two of us can stay here with the supplies."

"I'll go," volunteers Alicia.

"I'll go!" says Amethyst enthusiastically.

Dallas gives me a pointed look. "How about Alicia, Jaymes, and I go into the jungle and Amethyst and Jamal can stay here for tonight?"

Amethyst groans, but obeys, because no one wants to get on Dallas' bad side.

Dallas, Alicia, and I set off into the jungle. Dallas is armed with his sword and some knives, Alicia has her bow and a sheath of arrows, and I have a spear and a trident.

We try to be quiet, but we don't try very hard, because even if a tribute heard us and tried to run away, we would still catch them.

After maybe an hour or so, we hear a sound up in a tree. "I hear something in that tree," I say, pointing to it.

"It's probably just an animal," Dallas says. "Come on. We're wasting time. Let's just move on."

"No, I think it's a tribute," Alicia says. She walks under the tree to look up to see if it is indeed a tribute, and she finds her answer.

Alicia nods excitedly and motions for us to come where she is. We come, and, looking up, we see a small boy. I think he's the one from District Three, and he's looking terrified.

"Please don't kill me," he begs. "I can watch your supplies – I can do anything. Just please don't kill me."

"No such luck," growls Dallas. "We already have five of us that are way more talented than you could ever be."

He whispers something to Alicia, and she nods and loads her bow. That's the best weapon for killing someone that's up high.

She aims, and lets the arrow fly, and high-pitched screams tell me the arrow found its mark.

I wince, and Dallas says, "Okay, that's enough for one night. Let's go back."

I am glad to do this, so I eagerly start walking.

As Dallas and Alicia turn around, the boy's cannon fires.

Willow Farmer (14) from District 9's POV

A cannon goes off. I wonder who it's for – I hope it's one of the Careers. I already saw my district partner's face in the sky tonight. I don't want to deal with any more hardships like that.

I plan to hide up in this tree until the Games are over. I'm in the forest, which, yes, is the most popular hiding spot, but I can see why. No one will find me up here.

I have been incredibly cautious. I refuse to eat food unless I'm 100% sure it's not poisonous. I am now terrified to fall asleep. I know I need rest, but what if someone finds me while I'm asleep? Or what if I fall out of the tree? Even if I do fall asleep, what nightmares will that bring me? I've seen some pretty scary stuff today, things that I'll remember forever.

It must be nice to be a Career, to be able to sleep in a tent with people on watch guarding you, and you know they won't kill you in your sleep. I wonder what it's like to be at such an advantage.

But, the Career alliance always falls apart at one point or another. They all would rather win the Games than make friends. On the outside, they may seem friendly, but on the inside, none of them are more than killers. I know this from fourteen years of watching the Games.

I would be a disgrace if I were a Career, anyway. Anyone outside of Districts 1, 2, and 4 hate the Careers with a burning passion. I would be letting down my family if they knew I had thoughts like this, wishing I were from one of those districts.

My family. They're the whole reason I'm trying to win. If I won, they would be put out of misery. We wouldn't be starving. We would be happy.

I put it in my head that I am doing this for my family, for my district, because I am the only one left from Nine. And I would be letting them down if I died.

Thinking these thoughts, I slowly drift into a deep sleep.

**Deaths**

**Hunter Albert (14) from District 3 - shot by Alicia (bow and arrow) **Hmm. I just realized, after writing this, that Alicia killed both District 3 tributes. Oh, well. Hunter was originally a bloodbath tribute, but after the whole thing with his father, I decided to let him survive at least a couple hours. I didn't really like Hunter, but I felt really sorry for him. But he had to go.

**Placings**

**24th: Celeste Rodriguez**

**23rd: McKayla Carr**

**22nd: Hayden Fields**

**21st: Arielle Scales**

**20th: Phoenix Thread**

**19th: Aidan Sprint**

**18th: Austin Stocker**

**17th: Jade Scorpion**

**Remaining Tributes/Alliances/Locations**

**Amethyst/Jamal/Alicia/Dallas/Jaymes: By the Cornucopia**

**Hazel/Graham: Forest**

**Poppy/Raven: Meadow**

**Denver/Bennett: Ruined City**

**Willow: Forest**

**Lilac: Meadow**

**Stella: Forest**

**Leo: Desert**

**Next chapter will be Day 2! Remember to vote in the poll!**


	16. Chapter 16 - Day 2

Chapter 16

Graham Axel (16) from District 7's POV

I wake up early the next day, just in time to see the sunrise. I wake Hazel, too. Back in Seven, whenever us, Andrew, and Leigh would sleep at each others' houses, we would always watch the sun set and rise. It was just kind of out thing.

It isn't easy to see over the trees, but you can see it enough. It's beautiful – pink fading into orange and yellow. If I die today, at least my last sunrise was something to remember. But Hazel won't die today. She won't die at all.

We watch in silence, sitting up in our tree, and stay there for a while. I'm barely aware of our surroundings. For a short time, I forget that I'm in the Hunger Games. It's just the sunrise, Hazel, and me.

But the sun rises and the sky becomes blue and I remember.

And almost as soon as the blue sky comes, it disappears and is replaced with big gray rain clouds. I look at Hazel hopefully and she nods.

Quietly, we start to climb down the tree. We reach the ground just as it starts to rain. We run around for a couple minutes, gulping all of the water we can get. It's pouring – and then it stops.

Within a minute, the blue sky is back again.

At least I'm not thirsty anymore.

We climb back up the tree, and settle back down. We talk in whispers, because you never know when the Careers could come running into our part of the forest.

My guess is that the Careers will search here today, because it's where the most tributes went. All Hazel and I can do is pray they don't find us. We can't move our location, because it's too late, and besides, we're the most comfortable here. The forest is our home.

Alicia Swords (17) from District 2's POV

We wake up late, all of the Careers do. Dallas was supposed to take watch but I guess he fell asleep. I don't blame him – we were out late last night, and yesterday was a long day.

I wake up first, despite the circumstances, and then Jaymes wakes up. I've talked to him a little, and he's not bad – but he's too nice. These are the Games here. But at least we both agree Amethyst is incredibly annoying. We don't kill her yet, because Dallas wants to be the one that does it, and besides, Jaymes doesn't want to kill her in the first place. But we both take pleasure in waking her up and telling her that a sponsor sent her a gift that's right outside the tent we're sleeping in.

She runs outside, and she comes in with an angry look on her face. "There was nothing out there!" she says. Jaymes and I hold back our laughter. "And my boots got all muddy, too!" she adds, clearly frustrated.

This just makes it even more hilarious. We can't help it – Jaymes and I burst into laughter. "It's not funny!" Amethyst cries, stomping her foot.

"Wait, why is it muddy outside?" I ask, changing the subject. "It wasn't muddy yesterday or last night when Dallas and Jaymes and I came in."

I walk outside, finding the ground wet with mud. "It must have rained," I say. Jaymes shrugs.

"Let's wake Dallas and Jamal up," Amethyst says. "They'll probably want to go tribute hunting today, and it's already pretty late."

I wake Dallas up, and Jaymes wakes Jamal up. I can't wait to go tribute hunting either.

Once we're all ready, we decide who will guard the supplies and who will go.

"Four can go and one can stay," Dallas decides. "People will be more likely to try to steal at night instead of in broad daylight." We all nod in agreement.

"I'll stay here," Jaymes volunteers. "Since I went last night."

I knew he didn't want to kill.

"Okay," I say. "And the rest of us will go to the forest, right?"

"Yeah," Dallas says. "A lot of tributes went there." He grins, and I can tell he wants to kill, too. He and I are tied for kills right now, and even though we're friends, I know he wants to beat me.

Jaymes grabs two tridents and some knives to keep with him, in case people come, and the rest of us grab our weapons of choice.

I take my bow and sheath of arrows, of course, Dallas takes a sword and two spears, Amethyst takes a couple knives, and Jamal takes three knives and two spears. With that, we say goodbye to Jaymes and head out into the forest.

Lilac Rosen (12) from District 11's POV

It's the second day, and I'm not doing too badly. I'm stationed in the meadow, with all the pretty flowers and plants around me. I'm currently ducked down in a patch of very long grass that I'm easily concealed in.

I can also spy on the Careers.

My hiding spot isn't too far from the Cornucopia, so I can just barely see it. I see the Careers heading out into the forest. Good. I don't have to relocate today; they won't be coming anywhere near me.

I see one boy hanging back by their tent, I guess to guard all the supplies.

I don't have any supplies.

I think the boy is the one from District 4. The one named Jaymes. Out of all of the Careers, I think he seems like the nicest one. He didn't seem too vicious in training, like all the others. Jaymes was the only Career who talked to me at all, even though it was just a side comment. Actually, it was more than that. I was tying knots, and he was walking past the station. (Being from District 4 and all, he was good at it.) I was doing a basic one, but I did something wrong. Instead of laughing at me like the pair from District 2 would have, he came over and showed me what I was doing wrong. Then he did it right for me.

Don't get me wrong, I sure don't want a Career to win, but if a Career does win, I hope Jaymes does. In his interview, he talked about having three little sisters. He seems like a good person.

But who knows? The Hunger Games can transform you beyond repair. I've seen it happen way too many times.

Being from District 11 is actually helpful in the Games. I'm used to starving, so I'm not even really that hungry right now. The Careers, who don't have to worry whether they'll eat their next meal or not, don't know how to starve. They couldn't go a day without eating. I can go a day without eating easily. That's the one advantage that I have over the Careers.

Since I'm not hungry and I don't need anything right now, I decide to go to sleep. I didn't get much rest last night – I wasn't able to fall asleep until I saw the Careers go into the jungle. I was also a little bit haunted by what I saw during the bloodbath.

Slowly, I drift into a long, dreamless sleep.

Bennett Switch (16) from District 5's POV

Denver and I are faring well. At least, we've been faring well so far. The ancient city was a smart place to go to, I think. We haven't seen any other tributes since arriving here.

Hiding in the buildings is quite useful. We don't have to find the perfect tree or worry about the Careers seeing us from the Cornucopia. There are buildings all around us.

Now, this city is _ancient. _I know it's an ancient city and all, but seriously. There are some collapsed buildings and some standing. My only fear is that a building I'm in will collapse. That's why (at least until the Careers search our ancient city) Denver and I are mainly hiding on the first and second floors of the buildings.

Denver and I are really getting to know each other better. We share things about our lives back home in Districts 5 and 11. We talk about our families. I am an only child, but I do have a dog, named Butterscotch.

I tell Denver the story of the day I got Butterscotch. I was eight years old and it was my birthday. I had always wanted a dog, but my parents could never afford one. It was my birthday, though, and my dad had just gotten promoted at his job, which meant more money for us. I knew this, but I was young, so I didn't really know what it meant or how it affected us.

I was sitting in the living room of our one-story-plus-basement house, opening the few presents I had gotten. I was all done opening, and disappointed that, yet again, I hadn't gotten a dog. But I let it go, because I knew my parents couldn't afford one, and besides, they were about to give me my cake! (The one dessert I got a year was always the cake on my birthday.) But then my dad said, "No, wait, I think I forgot about a present." He went and brought out a big cardboard box. I opened it to find a small puppy with big brown eyes and golden fur. I think that was the happiest I've ever been in my life.

I named the dog Butterscotch because the cake I had that day was made with butterscotch frosting. The dog has been my best friend ever since.

Denver enjoys this story, and he tells me about his little sister, Ria, and how he wants to win to come to her.

This only confirms that if I don't win, I want Denver to. He deserves it.

Poppy Light (15) from District 5's POV

I don't think Raven and I are doing very well. Today has been really hard, because we have to live knowing McKayla and Jade died yesterday. Even though I had only known them for a couple days, they were great people. And I was heartbroken when both of their faces were shown in the sky last night.

I managed to get supplies, but not much, because we planned on having McKayla get supplies too. I got two spears for Raven (which she doesn't plan on using until it is 100% necessary), a water jug, and three packages of food. One package has some dried fruit, one has some crackers, and the other has a loaf of bread. We've already eaten the fruit. We also drank maybe one-third of the water. Technically we drank half of it, but when the rain came, we refilled it and we drank one-third of that. Hopefully it will rain again soon, because at this rate, in a day and a half or so, we will be all out of water. The jug wasn't that big.

Physically, I suppose we're okay, because we haven't really had to do much, except for running to the meadow. We ran as far as we could, at least ten miles, before reaching what I think is the edge of the arena. There's a huge wall there, but we don't have the tools or strength to blow through it or climb it (it's incredibly high and made out of smooth steel). Mentally, though, we're doing awful. Our friends just died, and it's not exactly helping that we're in an arena full of people that want to kill us.

We haven't really done much all day, because we really don't need to. When we're running low on food, we can search for some, but why search if you don't need to? We won't be out of food for at least the next three days. (We will eat the crackers tomorrow and the loaf of bread will probably last us two days.)

I'm so bored. But I guess boring is good for a place like the Hunger Games.

Jamal Gold (17) from District 1's POV

Don't get me wrong, I understand that this is a game and there's only one victor. Only one comes out alive. But that definitely doesn't mean I want to go around killing people like Dallas does.

This whole day, we've been searching the forest. We haven't found anyone yet, which I find weird because I saw so many tributes go in here. There was the pair from 7, the girl from 9 (I think), and the girl from 12… I can't believe we haven't found anyone yet.

But I hope it's like this every day.

I don't want to kill anyone else.

It's starting to get kind of dark, and I can see Dallas and Alicia are frustrated that we still haven't found anyone.

"It's okay, guys," says Amethyst. "We'll find people tomorrow."

None of us respond.

Just then, we hear a rustling at the top of one of the trees.

Oh, no.

I immediately begin talking to myself. _I will be strong. I will be strong. I will be strong._

Meanwhile, a girl, the one from District 9, falls out of the tree. The one we heard the sound coming from. I gasp.

She must have been asleep, without ropes or anything, and fell out of the tree.

An evil grin appears on Dallas' face. _Oh, no. Oh, no._

I want to turn away and run, but I can't tear my eyes away from the situation for some reason.

If the girl was asleep, she's certainly awake now. She's on the ground, her eyes widened in fear, while Dallas and Alicia creep towards her.

Without hesitation, Dallas takes a knife from Amethyst's belt and slits the girl's throat. She doesn't even scream.

I am paralyzed in shock. I hope it's not going to be like this every time I see someone get killed.

Before we walk away, Dallas whispers in the dead girl's ear, "That's what happens when you fall out of trees at the wrong time."

_So much for being strong._

Stella Canary (15) from District 12's POV

I have been sitting in my tree all day, bored but not wanting to say I'm bored because this is about the best I'm going to get in the arena. I didn't search for Leo because the Careers searched the forest today and I really didn't want to run into them. But Leo is alive. That's what's important.

A cannon went off last night. It woke me up. I heard the screams, too. I think it was one of the younger boys, because none of the older ones could scream that high if they tried. Then another cannon just went off. So I'm in the top 14. That means there will be thirteen more deaths.

I don't know whom the last cannon was for. I didn't hear screaming or anything, but I would assume it's someone in the forest because that's where the Careers searched today.

They even passed by my tree. I had to hold my breath. I was scared they were going to hear my heart pounding.

I hope the last cannon wasn't for Leo.

I wait in my tree until it gets dark. Then the anthem starts. The Capitol seal flashes, then the faces start to appear. There should only be two of them, unless somehow I missed one. But I'm a light sleeper, so I'm sure I would have heard the cannon.

The first face that's showed is the boy from District 3, Hunter. He must have been the one that died last night, because now that I think about it, he was the only boy under sixteen that was left. The boys from Districts 8 and 9 died in the bloodbath.

Hunter's picture disappears, and I hold my breath. _Please, not Leo._

The girl from District 9's face appears instead. I breathe a big sigh of relief.

The lights in the sky are gone now, and I can go to sleep. I can't wait to wake up to another day of trying to guess who has died.

**Deaths**

**Willow Farmer (14) from District 9 - killed by Dallas (slit throat with knife) **I liked Willow. She was a good person and I was sad she died because of her family... but she was kind of boring and she was never my victor. I liked her, though. (I had to kill someone!)

**Placings**

**24th: Celeste Rodriguez**

**23rd: McKayla Carr**

**22nd: Hayden Fields**

**21st: Arielle Scales**

**20th: Phoenix Thread**

**19th: Aidan Sprint**

**18th: Austin Stocker**

**17th: Jade Scorpion**

**16th: Hunter Albert**

**15th: Willow Farmer**

**Remaining Tributes/Alliances/Locations**

**Amethyst/Jamal/Alicia/Dallas/Jaymes: By the Cornucopia**

**Hazel/Graham: Forest**

**Poppy/Raven: Meadow**

**Denver/Bennett: Ancient City**

**Lilac: Meadow**

**Stella: Forest**

**Leo: Desert**

**Kill List!**

**Dallas: McKayla, Aidan, Willow**

**Alicia: Jade, Hunter**

**Celeste: Herself**

**Amethyst: Hayden**

**Jamal: Arielle**

**Jaymes: Phoenix**

**Denver: Austin**

**Remember to vote in the poll! The next chapter will be Day 3 - something really exciting is going to happen!**


	17. Chapter 17 - Day 3

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Hunger Games.**

Chapter 17

Denver Roots (18) from District 11's POV

I wake up. I have no idea what time it is. But then again, you never know what time it is in the arena. I assume it's early, though, because Bennett is still sleeping. I don't want to go outside of the building to see anything because I could be seen, and the windows are all completely covered in dust and who-knows-what, so I can't see out of them.

I sit there for a while, thinking about home, until Bennett rolls over, opens his eyes, and sits up. "Hey," he says in a sleepy voice.

"Hi," I say.

"Want to go back to telling random stories about our old lives until one of us dies?"

"Sure," I reply, and laugh. The sad thing is, it's not funny. In fact, it's so painfully true that I immediately regret laughing. But the dryness about it… Whatever. I know full well that I just want to laugh again. I haven't genuinely laughed since before the reaping.

Bennett tells me about the time his dad packed him a piece of rye bread for lunch in first grade. Bennett, for some reason, hates rye bread. I found this out the day I met him, in the Training Center, when there was a bowl full of bread at the lunch table. We were trying it all, but he wouldn't try the rye. I don't know why he hates it so much. I don't really want to ask, either.

Anyway, his dad packed a piece of rye bread as his lunch, and Bennett naturally got mad. He ended up throwing the bread at the person sitting next to him, and then he cried later because he was hungry, since he didn't eat the bread, which was his only lunch.

I laugh. It's not genuine. I don't think my laugh will ever be genuine again.

I would give anything in the world for a piece of rye bread right now.

We have enough weapons to fight off all of the Careers, but we're almost out of food. How this happened, I don't know. We had four packages of food from the bloodbath, but when you're splitting that tiny amount of food between two people, it's not going to last very long. That's why we only have a bag of dried fruit left.

All the sudden, rain starts pouring down, just like yesterday. We don't feel it, since we're inside, but we can hear it hitting the roof and windows. It's really a beautiful sound, the rain.

I launch into one of my many stories about Ria, and we do this for a long time. I guess life in the arena isn't so bad, but something tells me that life in the arena will get a whole lot worse.

Amethyst Diamond (17) from District 1's POV

I wake up in my spot next to Dallas. He's still sleeping, even though the fact that it's completely bright outside suggests that it's late in the morning.

The only problem is, Alicia is on his other side. She bothers me so much. She thinks Dallas likes her, when it's totally obvious to everyone that he likes me.

Jamal and Jaymes are already up, talking about something. When they see I'm up, they say good morning, and I return it. "It rained again," Jaymes says. "It woke Jamal and I up. We saw it. Just warning you, it's going to be muddy again," he says, and smiles. His teeth are super-white. If it wasn't for Dallas, whose teeth are just as white, I might like Jaymes instead.

Everyone in our alliance is nice, except for Alicia. I hate her. But I like Dallas twice as much as the average person, so he makes up for the lack of like for Alicia. But Jamal and Jaymes aren't bad. Except for when Jaymes and Alicia tricked me into going outside! That made me so mad. And it completely ruined my boots!

Dallas and Alicia wake up, and we get ready for hunting. Our plan is to search the rest of the forest, plus the desert. The desert should be pretty easy to search because there's really nowhere for the other people to hide. We'd find them easily – they'd be stupid to go into the desert. I guarantee that everyone that was that stupid will be dead by the end of the day.

"Who's going to stay here and guard today?" Alicia asks us.

"Oh, I don't know," says Dallas. "Here, Amethyst, why don't you stay here today?"

"Okay," I say eagerly. If Dallas wants me to do something, I'll do it. I hope I've proved to him how much he means to me. And besides, I know he cares about me – that's why he wanted me to stay here, because he doesn't want me to get killed while hunting.

How sweet of him!

I sit by the Cornucopia, waiting and waiting for Dallas (well, the rest of my alliance, too, but mostly Dallas) to get back.

Leo Green (17) from District 12's POV

I can't stop thinking about Stella. It's killing me. Trust me, it is everything I want to go and search for her and tell her that I can't stay away. I don't care if she rejects me, or even kills me (although I really doubt she would do that). I just need to talk to her again, even if it's the last time. I don't want to risk it anymore.

Tears well up in my eyes, thinking of her bright smile and her ice blue eyes that flashed whenever I said something to make her laugh. The tears run down my face when I picture her getting killed by someone like Dallas.

I can't do this anymore.

_Stop, Leo. Stop. Stop this. Don't imagine things like this. You will do anything you can to make sure Stella is the victor. She will be the victor. She will not get killed. She is not dead. Stella is not dead, Leo. She's not dead. Stop thinking she's dead. Stella will survive. She's a survivor._

I really don't think the hunger is helping my homesickness and the fact that I'm basically going insane right now.

Even though I would give anything to see those eyes again, to smile at her one last time, I can't. This is because the Careers are searching the desert today. I saw them head off into the eastern part of the forest. It won't take them all day to search that. Since they're traveling east, the desert is next. I set off towards the meadow so they won't find me in the desert part of the arena. I'll go back to where I was and search for Stella tomorrow.

For now, I'll plan my search. Where would Stella have gone? Not the ruined city. Her pedestal wasn't anywhere near there, nor was it near the jungle. She's obviously not in the desert. Stella is smart. She wouldn't have gone in the meadow. She would have known that it was probably full of Gamemaker traps. Beautiful flowers in an arena full of murderers are too good to be true. She knows this. That leaves the forest.

_The forest!_

The Careers. Oh, no.

_Stella. You are a survivor._

_Survive._

Raven Silk (16) from District 8's POV

I feel awful. I could collapse any second now. But what did I tell myself?

_Be strong. Never give up._

_Who was the one who got up? Who was the one who fed the whole family when no one else could? Who got up? Who got up, Raven?_

_You did._

And with that, I keep moving.

Poppy and I are split up right now, looking for food. We ran out of food earlier than we thought we would, because the loaf of bread was smaller and less filling than we thought it would be.

I come across a bush full of berries. My mouth waters because I want to eat them so badly. But I make myself break one open, just to make sure they're not poisonous.

They're poisonous. I can't do this anymore.

But I keep going.

In what seems like forever, I come across another bush of berries. As I break one open, a cannon booms in the distance. But all I'm focused on is the berry.

Yes!

It's edible.

I shove several berries into my mouth. They taste so good. I almost jump for joy. I gather some of them, just in case I don't find the bush again, and put them in a plastic bag that our dried fruit was in. Then I go to find Poppy, to go tell her the good news.

"Poppy!" I say. I don't shout it, just in case other tributes are nearby.

I don't get an answer.

I keep walking. I keep trying to find her. I eat a couple berries on the way.

And then, after a while of searching, I find her.

And let's just say she's not alive.

I break down at the sight of Poppy's body on the ground, her bronze hair spread out behind her head. She doesn't have a stab wound or anything. That's when I see the berries in her hand. I break one of them open, just to make sure.

Poisonous.

I cry. I'm not sure how long I cry, but then I realize I need to get away from the body so the hovercraft can come take it.

I guess I'm alone now.

Dallas Woods (18) from District 2's POV

A cannon goes off. I wonder who died. I hope it's the boy from 11, the one that was decent with a sword. He's probably one of the best tributes in here, worse than me, of course, but still decent.

At the sound of the cannon, all of our heads jerk up. Then we keep looking in silence. It's the afternoon. We've moved on to the desert by now. We haven't found anyone today. It's really frustrating me. At least I still have the most kills out of anyone here. That's the way it should be, and that's how it will stay.

I realize what I need to do to lengthen my number of kills. This is a plan I've been making since the day the Career pack met. I realize that now is the perfect time to plan for the execution.

I'm with Alicia, Jaymes, and Jamal. I made Amethyst stay back today. Gosh, I can't stand that girl.

"Guys," I say, and everyone stops to listen to me. "I have a plan," I say. "Can we all agree that Amethyst is incredibly annoying?"

Everyone nods enthusiastically, even Jamal and Jaymes, who hate killing. (They are so weird, by the way.)

"Well," I say, smiling, "I think we should kill her tonight."

Alicia's eyes gleam. Good, someone likes the plan that I have. "Great idea," she says. I am reminded of our little alliance within our alliance, and in this moment, I definitely don't regret that.

Jamal and Jaymes nod. I can tell that they aren't exactly excited, but they are bothered enough by Amethyst that they don't want to complain.

"So, I'll volunteer to take first watch," I say. "And then we'll all pretend to be asleep and Amethyst will actually be asleep. Then I'll stab her or something."

Alicia claps. "Great thinking," she says.

Jamal and Jaymes nod, again. Are they mute or something? They don't talk. At least, until we start walking again and I see them whispering about something. I wonder what it is.

Oh, well. I don't have time to think about that.

After all, I have a plan to execute.

Hazel Almond (16) from District 7's POV

The Careers walked by our tree today. I almost had a heart attack right then. Luckily, though, Graham and I were super quiet, so they didn't see us. The Careers are pretty stupid. They don't look up in the trees. They only stop if they hear a sound. The Careers definitely won't be able to kill everyone in this arena if they don't actually search for all of the tributes.

Graham and I whisper, because we don't want to risk getting caught. We talk about District Seven and Andrew and Leigh and our families and all the things that we want to let each other know before one of us dies.

Because that time, the time of my death, could come any second.

I don't want to have any regrets.

I tell Graham I love him a thousand times, because I want to make sure he knows this before I die. I know that, in the end, I will die.

But Graham won't die. That's why he has to know these things.

I guess he'll figure it out for himself that I love him when I die for him. I plan on sacrificing myself for him.

He will be the victor. I guarantee it.

On terms of what we are doing now, I have something positive (well, not really positive. Actually, it's very negative) to say. Graham and I actually figured something out about the arena!

The rain that's happened for the past two days – it's our only source of water. Since we're around trees so much in District 7, I can tell which trees have water stored inside of them, and there aren't any that do around here. But at least we know about the water so we can take advantage of the rain when it comes.

I'm already very thirsty again. I can't wait until tomorrow.

Jaymes Current (18) from District 4's POV

It's starting to get dark outside, so after searching the desert and not finding anyone, Jamal, Dallas, Alicia, and I decide to go back to Amethyst and the Cornucopia.

Amethyst literally hugs Dallas when we reach our tent. "A cannon went off and I thought you _died_!" she says anxiously. As if Dallas would die.

Dallas reads my mind. "Me? Die? No way."

"Well, I couldn't help but worry," Amethyst says, and goes back into the tent.

I see Dallas exchange a look with Alicia before he too goes into the tent.

Alicia follows him, and she calls, "Jaymes! Jamal! Are you guys going to come inside?"

"Nah, we'll stay here for a while," I reply. "We'll be in there soon. We just want to stay till after the anthem plays."

"Okay!" she calls back, and Jamal and I sit there.

Dallas has a plan.

He doesn't know that Jamal and I have a plan, too.

Dallas is executing his plan tonight.

So are we.

They think that we're coming to the tent when the anthem is over.

They're wrong. The Careers are wrong. They're wrong about everything. That is why Jamal and I have our special plan.

The anthem will play soon, so Jamal and I grab all of the weapons and supplies we need, silently. I take two tridents and two swords (Dallas' best weapon) while Jamal takes two spears, some knives, and a bow with a sheath of arrows (Alicia's best weapon). I also take a jug of water and a couple of food packages.

Let's just say our hands are full.

We look at each other and nod.

We run. We run as quietly as possible.

Dallas, Alicia, and Amethyst don't notice.

We run until we are safely in the forest, and we don't stop until the anthem starts playing. I see the face of the girl from District 5. She was part of the all-girl alliance – I think there's only one of them left now. She must have died today – I wonder how.

Jamal and I continue running, until we find a tree. We climb up, and instantly fall asleep.

We're starting a whole new way of playing this game tomorrow.

**Just so you know, Amethyst did not die. Dallas and Alicia decided not to kill her after Jamal and Jaymes left.**


	18. Chapter 18 - Day 4

**Hey guys! I know I haven't written in a while - I've been super busy. And I probably won't be able to update until next week - I'm leaving on Sunday and I'm going away for four days. But at least the next chapter will be an exciting one! Happy 4th of July!**

**Remember to review, follow, favorite, and VOTE IN THE POLL!**

Chapter 18

Bennett Switch (16) from District 5's POV

These Games are getting incredibly boring. I mean, Denver and I are making it as interesting as possible by telling basically our life stories, but it is boring for us as well as the rest of the arena.

There have been a small amount of deaths, at least one each day, but never a bloody fight with several cannons. I know this because the cannons have gone off at random times, never multiple cannons within a half of a day or so.

My district partner, Poppy, died yesterday. I felt a twinge of sadness when I saw her face in the sky.

I didn't know Poppy well, but whenever I talked to her or anything, she always made it interesting. She and I probably would have been friends if we knew each other back in District 5. But she seems like the type who would have crowds of friends, whereas I don't have many.

But nevertheless, I mourn over Poppy's loss, because she seemed like a kind person. I try to get over it, though. Poppy and I weren't close, and there is only one victor, so she had to die eventually.

Anyway, though, I haven't heard a cannon since Poppy's, in the middle of the day yesterday. I'd expect a death or two today, just because one death a day isn't exactly enough to satisfy the people at the Capitol. This is our fourth day in the arena and we still have more than half of the tributes alive. I wouldn't be surprised if the Gamemakers took action one of these days – the Games can't really have the Games last longer than two weeks, and usually we're down to the top twelve, at least, before day four. And here we are, with thirteen people left.

I wake up before Denver today. I sit and wait. The rain pours. Denver wakes up. We talk. We tell more stories. We try to hide the fact that we're in an arena that's full of starving murderers.

Life goes on.

Alicia Swords (17) from District 2's POV

I am the only one awake for the rain today.

And I am the only one that is sad about the fact that Jamal and Jaymes left us. They left. I can't believe it. They didn't even say goodbye.

Well, it's not like I would expect them to do that. Dallas would have killed both of them in an instant.

But I think I was the only one here who actually liked the whole alliance. I mean, Amethyst annoys the living daylights out of me, but Dallas is my district partner, and we still have the alliance within the Career pack. But I liked Jamal and Jaymes, too – especially Jaymes. Amethyst didn't care, she only likes Dallas, and, if anything, she's happy to have them gone just so she can have some "private time" with Dallas. And Dallas himself, I could tell he never really liked either of the guys, but he kept them along anyway.

We were friends, though. Jamal, Jaymes, and I were. We weren't super close or anything, but if I had known, they probably would have let me come with them wherever they went. It was Amethyst's annoyingness that bothered them, and Dallas' ruthless attitude.

I could have convinced them to stay. If I had known, I could have convinced them. But I didn't know. So they're completely gone.

I still want to kill. I still want to win, don't get me wrong. But even a killer has real emotions. I don't want to be one of those victors who are completely oblivious to everything that's going on, who loses themself to drugs and their own twisted minds.

So when Dallas and Amethyst wake up, I suggest we stay at the Cornucopia today. I say this is because we should build a trap that would keep people out of getting our supplies, since we only have three of us left and we need several people to be powerful hunters.

But it's really just because I don't want to try to find Jaymes and Jamal.

Graham Axel (16) from District 7's POV

Hazel and I are not doing well. We are thirsty. The rain is lessening by the day, and we haven't eaten in at least a day.

We might last today, but if this goes on, we'll both be dead by tomorrow night.

And that can't happen. Hazel can't die.

So, while I'm awake and Hazel's asleep, I know what I have to do. The only way to get water and food that doesn't have to do with stealing from the Careers (which can't happen, because all five of them are still alive and surviving. Hazel and I wouldn't stand a chance) is to get what we need from some sponsors.

I say, in a voice that is loud enough for people watching to hear but quiet enough so that Hazel doesn't wake up and other tributes don't hear me, "We need water. And food. Hazel and I will die if we don't get it."

Nothing.

"Please," I beg. "Hazel must survive. My plan is to get her out in the arena. I would die for her. But I can't save her if I'm dead."

There. Now everyone knows my plan.

Except for Hazel, of course.

I wait, and a minute later, a parachute comes down from the sky.

I almost cry with happiness when I open it to find four oranges and a half-gallon of water.

I wake Hazel up.

We are still alive.

Lilac Rosen (12) from District 11's POV

I am almost dead. I would be dead right now if it wasn't for the fact that I know how to starve. I've been starving my whole life, so I'm used to it. If I had lived in District 1 or 2, though, I would have been dead for at least a day.

I'm barely holding on.

The only water I've been able to get so far is the rain every day. I try to muster the energy to get up and let the pouring rain drop into my mouth. I am not too thirsty, but it's more the hunger that's getting to me. I found a good berry bush the other day, but I lost it. I looked for it all day yesterday, but today I'm way too weak and tired to get up and search for it again.

I am dying. I can feel it.

I lie down in the beautiful green grass and look up at the sky. It is the bluest I've seen it since I've entered the arena. But then again, it isn't real. The Gamemakers control all of the weather. It's not real.

Nothing is real anymore.

The clouds are puffy and a pure whit color. I am surrounded by bright grass and a gorgeous landscape all around me.

This is a nice place to die, I suppose.

I take all of the energy I have. I manage to croak out, "Water."

I wait, and I'm about to envelop myself into the dark world of death when…

Wait.

Is that a parachute?

I guess people in the Capitol are rooting for the underdog here.

The parachute lands on top of my body, and, even though great pain explodes through my body as I open it, I don't even notice it. I breathe happily as I open it to find a package of berries and a small container for water. It is filled, and I can drink it. Then I can refill it tomorrow morning when the rain comes.

My stomach feels like it's dying. (Wait, never mind. It is dying.) I shove a couple berries in my mouth and immediately feel the relief.

I am back in the game.

Jamal Gold (17) from District 1's POV

I am incredibly proud of the decision Jaymes and I made. I feel a lot more comfortable here in the back of the forest than I felt when I was right by the Cornucopia with the Careers. And if you want to know what that feels like, it's this constant feeling that you will get stabbed in the back any second.

And the best part is, Dallas, Alicia, and Amethyst have no idea where we are.

I guess Dallas didn't kill Amethyst in her sleep like he said he was going to, because I didn't hear a cannon or high-pitched screams.

Now, Amethyst annoys me, but this is the kind of attitude I'm talking about. Dallas was super excited to kill an innocent person. Amethyst may be incredibly snobby, but she's innocent.

Here, Jaymes and I aren't forced to kill anyone. We know that we will never turn on each other because we are real friends.

We sit and talk through the afternoon. Unlike our former alliance, we don't hunt tributes.

Our prediction is that they want to kill us above everyone else. If they don't find us today, they will try to find us tomorrow or the next day.

Forget the other tributes.

Now, the real game here is between Jaymes and I and Dallas, Alicia, and Amethyst.

It's not just the Hunger Games anymore. It's a mind game.

Amethyst Diamond (17) from District 1's POV

Today has been the best day of the arena so far! I liked the first day, too, because I got a kill, but today was the best because I got to spend the whole day with Dallas! I mean, Alicia was there, too, but she doesn't count.

We stayed at the Cornucopia today to build a trap for anyone that wants to steal our supplies, mainly Jamal and Jaymes. Those traitors! I can't believe them. Well, I'm actually not that mad because now there's only one person blocking my path to Dallas instead of three people, which is the way it was before they left.

The trap is very interesting. We have all of our supplies in the Cornucopia, and we have a tarp draped over the mouth of it. Then, there is a mixture of spears, knives, and rocks on top of the Cornucopia, so whenever someone pulls the tarp or moves it at all, the stuff will come crashing down on them. (We have some weapons that we keep on our bodies all the time, for hunting and when we're sleeping.) It's really a genius trap. Dallas came up with it. He is so smart. I'm really very proud of him.

This took all day because we had to move all of our supplies into the Cornucopia, then climb up it to put the spears, knives, and rocks on top of it, then we had to put the tarp up. And we woke up late (at least, Dallas and I did – we were up late last night talking). And we had to have a lunch break. So by the time we were done, it was probably too late to go hunting anyway. But we'll do it tomorrow. We'll try to find Jamal and Jaymes.

It's time for bed! After the sky announces that there have been no deaths today, I crawl into my sleeping bag and snuggle up, looking at Dallas and Alicia (but mostly Dallas) as they fall asleep. Soon, I fall asleep, too. I have great dreams, about Dallas.

Suddenly, I am awakened. I'm mad at first (I need my beauty sleep!) but then I smile because I see that it's Dallas who woke me up.

"Hi," I say dreamily.

"Sorry, sweetheart," Dallas says, a grin spreading on his face, "But time is up."

"What?" I say, confused.

I don't understand what's going on until I see him raise his machete.

And it sinks into my heart.

I am suffering literal heartbreak here.

Dallas stabbed me in the back (well, actually he stabbed me in the heart) _and _I'm going to die!

In the background, I hear Alicia laughing. I never liked her.

Why is Dallas doing this to me? I thought he liked me. I knew he liked me! Maybe Alicia forced him. That's something she would do.

Or maybe he's doing it because it would make him too sad if we were the final two. That would probably happen, because we're an unstoppable duo.

Before I sink into the darkness, a thought pops into my head.

_This isn't the best day ever. It's the worst day ever._

Boom.

**Down to the top half of tributes! Woohoo!**

**Amethyst Diamond (17) from District 1 - stabbed by Dallas (machete) **I felt so much regret writing Amethyst's death. I loved her - she was so fun to write. I never had to search within myself for her character - all of the words just kind of flowed out. And I know that **Annabeth-TheTributeThatLived** is going to just about kill me for this, but it had to happen. Everyone hated her too much. Amethyst, you will be very missed!

**Placings**

**24th: Celeste Rodriguez**

**23rd: McKayla Carr**

**22nd: Hayden Fields**

**21st: Arielle Scales**

**20th: Phoenix Thread**

**19th: Aidan Sprint**

**18th: Austin Stocker**

**17th: Jade Scorpion**

**16th: Hunter Albert**

**15th: Willow Farmer**

**14th: Poppy Light**

**13th: Amethyst Diamond**

**Remaining Tributes/Alliances/Locations**

**Alicia/Dallas: By the Cornucopia**

**Jamal/Jaymes: Forest**

**Hazel/Graham: Forest**

**Raven: Meadow**

**Denver/Bennett: Ruined City**

**Lilac: Meadow**

**Stella: Forest**

**Leo: Desert**

**Kill List**

**Dallas: McKayla, Aidan, Willow, Amethyst**

**Alicia: Jade, Hunter**

**Celeste: Herself**

**Amethyst: Hayden**

**Jamal: Arielle**

**Jaymes: Phoenix**

**Denver: Austin**

**Next chapter is Day 5! I'm feeling sad because I'm barely getting any reviews! (HINT HINT)**


	19. Chapter 19 - Day 5

Chapter 19

Leo Green (17) from District 12's POV

I wake up, and my stomach jolts because I remember everything. I remember where I am, what I'm doing here, and the situation I'm in. And most importantly, I remember the plan I made last night.

Well, first I congratulate myself for making it to the top half of the people in the arena. I know someone died last night. It could be Stella, but somehow I doubt that. I don't know what exactly makes me assume that, but still, there's a 1-in-12 chance that she died because there were 13 people left at the time, and I obviously know that I didn't die. So, in my mind, I congratulate Stella for making it into the top twelve (hopefully) as well. Since I do this, this automatically makes me think of my plan.

I am going to find Stella today. I don't care what happens. I'm not going to worry about running into the Careers or anything like that. Nothing will be in my way. I haven't exactly fulfilled the promise I made to myself about doing everything I could to make sure Stella is the person that comes out alive. So I'm going to work on sticking to what I've said today.

Well, I've figured out that Stella is in the forest. Never mind. I don't know that for sure, but I'm just assuming. (I've been assuming a lot of things lately. I bet I'm wrong. Maybe Stella was the one that died and she went towards the meadow.)

Anyway, I'll go towards the forest. It may be a guess, but it is an educated one. And if I die along the way, I'll die knowing I at least tried to dedicate myself to finding Stella.

With all of the strength I have, I get up and start walking towards the forest. After a couple minutes, the stupid rain comes again. Actually, I take that back. The rain is a blessing – it's my only source of water, after all. But honestly, it's a pain. Now I probably weigh fifty more pounds than I already did. (Now, that's an exaggeration, but still. I don't exactly want to walk all day when I'm soaking wet. I do it anyway, though. I make myself.)

A while after the rain has passed, maybe an hour or two, I reach the forest. I sigh and keep going.

The search has begun.

Raven Silk (16) from District 8's POV

I have a really bad feeling inside of me. It's our fifth day inside the arena, and since the bloodbath, there have only been four deaths. We didn't get down to the top twelve until late last night. I know this because the cannon blast woke me up. Anyway, though, the Capitol people are probably getting really bored, so if there aren't any deaths today, they'll probably throw something exciting in. This is what gives me the bad feeling.

I've been doing better than I thought I would after Poppy's death. I have weapons and some supplies, and the rain is a good source of water. I have been able to find some bushes with edible berries in them, so that's good.

But I'm still very upset about Poppy's death. I was very close to her, even though I hadn't known her for that long, and we went through McKayla and Jade's deaths together. And now she's gone, too.

I am the last one left.

I will keep fighting until I am the last one standing.

I will do it for Poppy, and McKayla, and Jade. They all deserve to be here with me. They don't deserve to be dead. Nobody that's died deserves to be dead.

But anyway, I plan to win for my three dead former-alliance members because I know that they would do the same thing for me if I were the one that died. But most importantly, I want to win for myself.

I feel like I deserve it.

I've been through a lot.

Obviously.

Everyone in the arena has been through a lot. I'm not saying that if I go home, life will be great again. This is because it won't be great. Life will never, ever be great because I've gone through this experience. Victors aren't really victors. They don't win anything, except for survival. But if I do survive, the Games will always haunt me. And I'm sure the Games continue to haunt all of the past victors.

But nevertheless, I still want to win, for everything that I've been through.

Dallas Woods (18) from District 2's POV

I feel refreshed. I feel that way whenever I get a kill. And now I have nothing stopping me from being happy. Amethyst the Annoying is gone! I still have Alicia, but she's not annoying. She's actually pretty useful. And Jamal and Jaymes are gone, which is honestly nice because it was irritating having them around, the way they would always try to be nice, and how they had the "I don't want to kill anyone" attitude.

Let's face it, wimps. This is a game.

Which is why Alicia and I are going hunting today. And we're going to try to find Jamal and Jaymes.

"Where do you think they went?" I ask Alicia, as we wake up late yet again.

She shrugs. Now that I think about it, she's been a little less talkative since the guys left. Oh, well. If she gets to be too quiet, I'll just kill her.

"I bet they went in the forest," I continue, ignoring her silence. "They know we've already searched there, and there are trees to hide. They're not stupid enough to go into the jungle because that probably has a ton of Gamemaker traps, and they know we're supposed to search the meadow next, so they wouldn't go there. And the desert is for blind people who don't know that they can't hide there."

"What about the ruined city?" Alicia finally says.

"I doubt it. I think the guy from 11 went there, and they know he's a threat. They saw him run there."

"Well, why don't we search there, then? If we don't find Jaymes and Jamal, then maybe we can find him and knock him out? It would make our job easier," Alicia presses on.

Even though she's probably right, I still say, "No. We are looking for Jaymes and Jamal, not Denver. And I won't stop until we kill them."

"Fine," Alicia says. There's sharpness to her voice, and I can tell she's upset. "We'll search the forest." She turns on her heel and starts walking towards the forest quickly.

I catch up with her. "Don't be mad," I plead, although I don't really care that much. "I promise that, as soon as we kill Jamal and Jaymes, we can search for the guy from 11."

Somehow I don't think this is really about Denver, but I play along like it is.

"Okay," Alicia says, and doesn't say anything else.

We walk through the forest in silence.

Stella Canary (15) from District 12's POV

Final twelve. I am in the top half of tributes. Of course, it doesn't matter if I get 2nd or last, losing is losing and in this case, losing is dying.

Every time a cannon goes off, my heart jolts and my stomach does a flip-flop. I know I'm not dead, but someone else has to be. And normally I wouldn't care, but Leo is in the arena too.

Someone died late last night, after the anthem. There's always that thought in the back of my mind that it could be Leo, that he could already be gone. But I try not to believe myself when that happens.

Whatever did happen, I suppose I'll find out tonight.

There have been berry bushes located near me, so I've been able to eat food. I spent a lot of my training time in survival skills, so I like to say I know a lot about poisonous plants.

The daily rain has been helpful as well. I'm from District Twelve – I know what it's like to be starving and thirsty. I've lived that way for my entire life. If there weren't any weapons in the Games, District Twelve would have many victors, because we know how to survive. We would last longer than anyone else.

Speaking of weapons, I haven't had my hands on a weapon since we've been in the Training Center. And I suddenly know what I need to do. When the Careers passed by my tree, it scared me. What scared me the most was that I couldn't do anything about it. If I had a weapon, I could kill someone.

Because of this, I just start talking.

I talk loud enough so people in the Capitol would be able to hear me from their televisions, but quiet enough so if there were a tribute nearby, they probably wouldn't be able to hear me.

"Want to know how I got a nine in training?" I say. Then I pause, giving the Capitol people a moment to ponder this. "I can throw knives," I continue. "That's what I did in my private session, and I have to say, I'm pretty good. If I had a knife in the arena, I could kill someone." I sit back and wait, letting everyone piece this together. And pretty soon, I can tell my plan worked.

A parachute falls from the sky.

I open it to find a single knife. Holding it in my hands, I feel like I could control the entire arena. I feel like I have power.

Most people get parachute gifts when they need to survive. Usually people get food when they're starving or water when they're thirsty or matches when they're freezing to death. People usually get sponsor gifts when they're about to die.

I am not dying.

In fact, I have never felt more alive.

Jaymes Current (18) from District 4's POV

I wouldn't be surprised if Dallas, Alicia, and Amethyst found us today.

They probably are looking for us, and I can only hope that they weren't smart enough to look in the forest. Maybe they just continued their search and started looking in the meadow instead of trying to find Jamal and me.

Actually, I don't know if Amethyst is still alive. Someone died last night. It could likely be Amethyst, because I know Dallas planned to kill her two nights ago at that time, so he could have executed his plan. Either way, Jamal and I are in the top twelve.

Jamal and I talk quietly. If a tribute was very close, they could probably hear us, but we kind of have to talk. We have to do something. If we didn't, we would probably be bored to death. Literally.

Jamal tells me all of these stories about his verbally abusive mom. Either all of Panem is hearing this because it creates drama or it isn't being shown because the Capitol wants everyone to think that we all have these super, fabulous lives.

Because of this, I kind of feel bad for telling him stories about Jenna, Josie, and Jaclyn. Back in 4, I didn't live a great life by any means, but my family life sounded like royalty compared to his.

Besides, even if a tribute was to hear us, we could kill whoever it was easily. Not that we would want to, but we could. Jamal and I have plenty of weapons that we could use for that.

It's late afternoon when I hear something. Something besides Jamal's talking, I mean.

I shush him so we can listen. It's coming from maybe fifty yards away. I almost have a heart attack when I can make out the figures.

It's Dallas and Alicia.

I guess that means Amethyst either died or is at the Cornucopia, guarding. But that doesn't matter. Right now, I'm concerned about Jamal's and my survival.

They stop walking, though. I can see them, but they wouldn't be able to see us from where they are. I crane my neck to see that they're looking up a tree.

"We see you!" Alicia sings gleefully, and my heart almost stops because at first, I think she's talking about us.

I am proven wrong when Dallas swings at the tree with his sword and it starts to sway. Before the tree completely falls over (it unfortunately doesn't hit anyone), two figures jump out of the tree and land.

At first, I think it could be the girl from 12 because I'm almost positive she's somewhere in the forest. But there are two of them. One is a male, the other female. And I know it's not Stella when I see the girl's dirty blonde hair.

It's the pair from District Seven.

Hazel Almond (16) from District 7's POV

Graham and I jump out of the tree. We had to, or else it would have fallen down with us in it. It does fall down, though, behind us, but neither of us even looks there. We're focused on the two monsters in front of us.

If Graham and I had axes, we would have a chance of winning a fight with Dallas and Alicia, but we're currently weaponless. We should run, but for some reason, neither of us can.

Alicia gives us an evil grin and aims her bow at Graham. When she pulls back the string, I don't even hesitate. I don't think.

I just jump.

I jump in front of Graham.

And the arrow hits me right in the heart.

I don't even acknowledge the blinding pain. I keep my eyes focused on Graham.

But I know it's too late when Dallas brings his sword down on Graham's chest.

I probably screamed, but I wasn't exactly aware of what I was doing right then.

Out of the corner of my eye, I see Dallas and Alicia turn around and walk back in the direction that they came in.

Graham is on the ground next to me, struggling to breathe. I don't see it, but I feel his hand slip into mine, and all I'm thinking is, _I failed. Graham is going to die. I didn't keep my promise._

"Hazel," he groans. I can see that it's seriously hurting him to talk.

"We are going to a better place," Graham croaks out. "A place where we can live happily ever after without being murdered."

I am vaguely aware of tears running down my face.

"I love you," I manage to say.

"I love you, too," Graham says. "Always."

That's the last thing I remember before I am gone from the world forever.

Boom.

Boom.

Denver Roots (18) from District 11's POV

Two cannons just went off. We are in the top ten. As bad as it seems to do this, I give Bennett a high-five.

I wonder whom it is that died. Oh, well. We'll get to see in a couple minutes, because it's getting dark and the anthem should play soon.

We ran out of food today. I'm trying to ignore the fact that my stomach is growling like crazy. I plan to do something about it tomorrow, maybe steal from the Careers or look for some food and supplies in some of the buildings. I'm not one to beg for sponsor gifts.

Bennett and I scramble out of the ruined house we've set up camp in when we hear the anthem start to play. The only times we ever come out of the buildings is to see who has died, only because that could help us to win later on.

There should be three faces in the sky tonight, because I've heard three cannons since the anthem that was played last night.

The first face to appear is the dumb blonde girl from District 1. Then there's the blonde boy from District 7, and his district partner, the blonde girl. I remember them to be the couple. I would assume that their cannons were the two that went off right in a row, and that the girl from 1 was the one that died last night.

Bennett and I walk back into the building, into the basement (this house is one of the few that has a basement built into it).

"So, who's left?" he asks, and I think about it.

"Ten of us," I say. "The boy from 1, both from 2, the boy from 4, you, the girl from 8, me, Lilac, and both from 12."

Bennett wrinkles his nose. "All of the tributes from Districts 11 and 12 made it to the top ten? That's definitely unusual."

I nod, thinking about this.

Maybe the outcome of the Games will be unusual as well.

**Hazel Almond (16) from District 7 - shot by Alicia (bow and arrow) **I loved Hazel, but she had to die. She and Graham died together, holding hands. That is the way it should be. But Hazel and Graham were some of my personal favorites.

**Graham Axel (16) from District 7 - stabbed by Dallas (sword) **Same thing with Graham. It was time for them to go, but they will never have to live without each other.

**Placings**

**24th: Celeste Rodriguez**

**23rd: McKayla Carr**

**22nd: Hayden Fields**

**21st: Arielle Scales**

**20th: Phoenix Thread**

**19th: Aidan Sprint**

**18th: Austin Stocker**

**17th: Jade Scorpion**

**16th: Hunter Albert**

**15th: Willow Farmer**

**14th: Poppy Light**

**13th: Amethyst Diamond**

**12th: Hazel Almond**

**11th: Graham Axel**

**Remaining Tributes/Alliances/Locations**

**Alicia/Dallas: By the Cornucopia**

**Jamal/Jaymes: Forest**

**Raven: Meadow**

**Denver/Bennett: Ruined City**

**Lilac: Meadow**

**Stella: Forest**

**Leo: Desert**

**Kill List**

**Dallas: McKayla, Aidan, Willow, Amethyst, Graham**

**Alicia: Jade, Hunter, Hazel**

**Celeste: Herself**

**Amethyst: Hayden**

**Jamal: Arielle**

**Jaymes: Phoenix**

**Denver: Austin**

I am setting up a new poll for the top 10! PLEASEPLEASEPLEASE vote!


	20. Chapter 20 - Day 6

**Here's Chapter 20! I hope you enjoy! It's definitely not my best chapter, more of a filler, but here it is all the same. :)**

**Oh, and Annabeth-TheTributeThatLived - Agreed! A few years ago, I wrote a fifty-page-or-so story and the main character was named Hazel. Note that this is way before The Fault In Our Stars. And, as for Graham... My brother's best friend/best friend's brother is named Graham and I see him almost every day (we're really close) so I couldn't write about Graham without thinking about the real one.**

**Ok, let me stop blabbering about my life! Here's the chapter!**

Chapter 20

Lilac Rosen (12) from District 11's POV

A new day, and I'm in the final 10. If you had asked me when I first got reaped if there was any chance of me being in the top ten, I would have laughed. Because I never would have thought that was even possible. But here I am, and now I believe a little more.

After the morning rain, I form a plan. I know from doing my spying that the Careers (well, just Dallas and Alicia now that the other two left) usually wake up long after the rain. But I also know that they plan to search the meadow today. Which is where I am. So, even though I'm a good hider and they probably wouldn't be able to find me, I'm going to move towards the ancient city.

I pack up all of the supplies I have (which is not much) and start making my way to the direction of the ruined city. After about a half hour or so of walking, I see something I really don't want to see.

It's another tribute.

Fortunately, it's not Dallas or Alicia, or the boys that left them. It's a girl, the redheaded one, from District 8, I think. I am happy to see this because she never seemed like too much of a threat, but I think I stop breathing when I see that she's carrying a couple spears with her. And I get a training flashback and remember that spears were this girl's weapons of choice.

The girl from District 8 sees me. I brace myself, preparing for the spear that is sure to come flying into my chest, but it doesn't come. Instead, the girl walks over to me.

"You're from District 11, right?" the girl says. I nod. "I don't want to kill you," she says. "I don't want to kill. I'm just moving because the Careers are searching the meadow today and the only reason I have these spears is in case I run into them."

It's now that I realize that she's not going to kill me. I breathe a sigh of relief and say, "I'm moving, too. I'm going to the ruined city. Are you moving that way, to the desert? Or the forest?"

"I don't know where I'm going," says the girl. "Maybe I'll stop in the desert. I might keep going and settle in the forest. But I guess I'll see when I actually make it there."

I nod. "Well, I'd better get on my way." I don't really want to offer an alliance, because I don't want one, and besides, I don't want to go to the desert or the forest. "Nice meeting you… I don't know your name."

"Raven," the girl says with some sort of pride. "And you're…"

"Lilac," I say.

"Yes," Raven says. "Well, nice meeting you. Good luck in the future."

"Same to you," I say, and we continue walking in our separate directions.

Jamal Gold (17) from District 1's POV

Yesterday made me seriously reconsider our decision of leaving the Career pack. It scared the life out of me when we saw Dallas and Alicia kill the pair from District 7. Since they already searched the forest, there is no doubt in Jaymes' and my minds that Dallas and Alicia searched the forest to look for us.

Jaymes and I are strong and talented, but if there would be one pair in this whole arena that we probably couldn't defeat, it would be them.

Obviously we can't go running back to them. That would be asking for a certain death. But maybe we should have waited.

Oh, well. I guess that means they probably won't search the forest again today, because they didn't find us yesterday. This means that they'll think we aren't here. We have a couple more days of hiding left.

Last night, we found out that it was Amethyst that died two nights ago. I would bet my life that it was Dallas that killed her.

This would mean that Dallas has five kills. Yes, because he had two in the bloodbath (both from District 6) and then he got the smaller girl from District 9 on the second day when I was there, and I am assuming he killed Amethyst. Then I saw him kill Graham yesterday. So, yeah, there are five people that he's killed.

There have been fourteen kills in the Hunger Games so far, and Dallas has been responsible for five. And I think Alicia has three kills (the girl from District 3, the boy from District 3, and the girl from 7). So, together, they have killed more than half of the people that have died in the 127th Hunger Games so far.

And Jaymes and I are responsible for one death each. It may not seem like much, but it really is. I still can't get over that.

I killed a girl. She was innocent. She didn't deserve to die. But she died anyway, because of me.

I am a murderer.

_I will be strong. I will be strong._

Alicia Swords (17) from District 2's POV

We are searching the meadow. It really is beautiful here. I probably would have gone here if I were a normal tribute instead of a Career. It would be something happy in the middle of sadness.

We haven't found anyone yet, and I can tell that Dallas is getting very frustrated. "We never find anyone!" he says angrily, kicking a patch of gorgeous green grass.

"Dallas," I say, trying to calm him down, "We just found two people yesterday. We can't find people every time we go hunting."

"I know," he says. "But there are still ten people left. Nine more people have to die. There are eight more people that we have to find."

It is inevitable that one of us will have to die eventually, but we're trying not to think about it. We're trying to avoid all discussion about the finale. We're trying to just talk about what will happen between now and then.

I would never dare say this in front of Dallas, but I don't want to find Jaymes and Jamal. I obviously would rather have them die than me, but if I had to pick, us four would be the final four.

But that means that the boy from 5, the girl from 8, the girl and boy from 11, and the girl and boy from 12 must die first.

"Hey, don't you think it's really weird that all the tributes from Districts Eleven and Twelve are still alive?" I say, trying to change the subject somewhat. "Usually most of them don't even make it out of the bloodbath. And they're all still alive right now."

"Well, I guess that just means that they're easier tributes to kill," Dallas replies. "Those tributes are always weaklings. Our job is going to be really easy if we find any of those tributes."

Sometimes I wonder what life would be like if there was no Hunger Games or districts separating everybody. Would Dallas and I still be friends? Could Dallas, Jamal, Jaymes, and I create a group of friends without death creating an invisible barrier between us? I don't know. I'd love to find out.

But unfortunately, we can't.

Bennett Switch (16) from District 5's POV

I sit in the upstairs of the new building we moved to this morning. It feels weird to be alone. Denver is out, trying to find any animals to hunt or food to eat. We have weapons, just not food.

The top ten… I mean, I obviously won't win, but still, the top ten is pretty darn good for a sixteen-year-old from District 5. Which makes me think… the twelve-year-old girl from Denver's district is still alive. This is weird, considering she didn't even seem that strong in training or anything. I wonder what's going on with her.

Denver has been out for a while now. I hope he is finding things.

I wonder when a Gamemaker will throw in an obstacle for us. We've had a pretty uneventful Game so far. We've basically sat around and told stories about our childhoods. And run out of food.

And there are still four Careers left. Four out of ten people are Careers. That's kind of scary, considering their ability to kill so well.

I look out the dusty, dirty window. It must be almost evening by now. Denver better get back soon, before it gets too dark.

I stretch out across the old wooden floor, wishing I could fall asleep until the Games ended. I can imagine it across the headlines in all of the news stories: _Bennett Switch, the Victor by sleeping!_

I laugh to myself. If only it was that easy.

That's then the floor starts making a weird sound. I hear commotion underneath me, on the main floor.

And before I know it, the floor starts caving in and I'm falling.

If I weren't dying, I would enjoy it. Falling is a thrilling sensation.

I finally land after what seems like hours of floating in the air, and the only thing that registers is that _I've never felt this much pain before_.

I suppose this house had a basement after all because there's no way I only fell one story down.

I can't move, the pain is excruciating and I really don't want to make it worse.

And that's when the roof starts coming down on top of me.

Stella Canary (15) from District 12's POV

Boom.

Who is it?

Leo?

If it's not Leo, then we're both in the top nine.

Either way, I feel prepared. If a tribute was to come walking by, I could easily kill them, even from up in this tree. I have a knife, and I have power. No one can underestimate me now.

It's getting dark. The anthem should play soon. I will find out who died.

The dreaded sound of our country's song echoes through the forest. I hold my breath.

_Not Leo._

I release my breath when the boy from District 5's face is shown and the seal disappears.

Who's left now?

Leo and I, obviously, are still alive. There are the four Careers – that's six people. Three more. There's the strong boy from District 11, and his district partner, too. The twelve-year-old. There's one more – I think it's the girl from District 8, the redhead.

I know for a fact that people in the Capitol are betting on the final nine, right now. I wonder where in the line my odds fall. I'm guessing I'm behind the four Careers and the guy from District 11. Maybe Leo's ahead of me but I have a weapon and I'm pretty sure he doesn't. So I'm probably sixth or seventh, odds-wise.

The Games are almost half over, probably. Tomorrow night marks seven days in the arena, one week. I can't believe I've been here for almost a week.

I feel homesick. I feel lost.

But I don't think I'll ever be able to find myself.

**Bennett Switch (16) from District 5's POV - building collapsed on top of him **Ok, I have no idea why I kept Bennett this long. He was really boring. It literally got to the point where I was writing about how much he hated rye bread (I was that desperate!). It's not that I didn't like him, it's just... yeah.

**Placings**

**24th: Celeste Rodriguez**

**23rd: McKayla Carr**

**22nd: Hayden Fields**

**21st: Arielle Scales**

**20th: Phoenix Thread**

**19th: Aidan Sprint**

**18th: Austin Stocker**

**17th: Jade Scorpion**

**16th: Hunter Albert**

**15th: Willow Farmer**

**14th: Poppy Light**

**13th: Amethyst Diamond**

**12th: Hazel Almond**

**11th: Graham Axel**

**10th: Bennett Switch**

**Remaining Tributes/Alliances/Locations**

**Alicia/Dallas: By the Cornucopia**

**Jamal/Jaymes: Forest**

**Raven: Desert**

**Denver: Ruined City**

**Lilac: Ruined City**

**Stella: Forest**

**Leo: Forest**

**Kill List**

**Dallas: McKayla, Aidan, Willow, Amethyst, Graham**

**Alicia: Jade, Hunter, Hazel**

**Celeste: Herself**

**Amethyst: Hayden**

**Jamal: Arielle**

**Jaymes: Phoenix**

**Denver: Austin**

**Remember to follow my 5 steps!**

**1) Read**

**2) Review**

**3) Follow**

**4) Favorite**

**5) Vote in the poll! That means the most to me because the Games are almost all planned out so vote to save your favorites!**

**The whole reviewing thing reminds me... I was at cheer camp and at the end of the day, we would review all of the dances and stuff we learned and we would do this chant that goes, "What do we like to do? Review, review!" It was actually really catchy and it totally reminded me of FanFiction.**

**Sorry! I had to say that. Hope you liked this chapter!**


	21. Chapter 21 - Day 7

Chapter 21

Dallas Woods (18) from District 2's POV

I wake up early this morning, during the rain. I consider going out to collect some just in case we start running out of water in a couple days. But then I decide that I'm too lazy and that we probably won't run out of water.

I look over to see that Alicia is awake. I am surprised to see that she's awake, too. She's just sitting there, daydreaming about who knows what.

"Well, since we're both up, we might as well start hunting now, at least after the rain stops," I say to her. I don't think she even realizes that I woke up.

She snaps out of her daze and looks up at me. "What? Oh… Yeah, that… Yeah, we should do that. Where are we searching today?"

"The ruined city, remember?" I say, annoyed.

"Oh, yeah. Okay. Let's go," she says, beginning to climb out of the tent.

"Alicia!" I stop her. "Don't go out there – it's still raining!" I add.

"Oh, yeah, I forgot," Alicia replies, and sits back down. She is acting really stupid today. I wonder if there's a reason for that.

The rain stops. "Okay, we can go now," I say, and we climb out of the tent.

We grab our weapons and are about to start walking towards the city when we hear the faint tinkling of a parachute. Alicia and I look at each other, confused. We don't need anything.

I run over to the gift and open it. Inside it is not a weapon, or food, or even water, but a piece of paper. On that piece of paper is a list.

"It's a list of how everyone has died!" Alicia exclaims. "That way, we can figure out what we didn't know and who's left!"

I smile. Maybe Alicia isn't so dumb after all.

The list reads:

_24__th__: Celeste Rodriguez (F, 10) Killed herself by eating poisonous berries that she found at the Cornucopia._

_23__rd__: McKayla Carr (F, 6) Speared by Dallas at the Cornucopia._

_22__nd__: Hayden Fields (M, 9) Killed by a knife thrown by Amethyst. It was accidental because Amethyst was not aiming for him._

_21__st__: Arielle Scales (F, 4) Speared by Jamal at the Cornucopia._

_20__th__: Phoenix Thread (M, 8) Speared by Jaymes' trident while trying to run away from the bloodbath._

_19__th__: Aidan Sprint (M, 6) Stabbed by Dallas after engaging in a sword fight with him at the Cornucopia._

_18__th__: Austin Stocker (M, 10) Killed by a knife thrown by Denver after he was about to kill Denver himself. This happened when the two were running away from the Cornucopia._

_17__th__: Jade Scorpion (F, 3) Shot by Alicia's arrow while waiting for McKayla, who died previously._

_16__th__: Hunter Albert (M, 3) Shot by Alicia's arrow while hiding in a jungle tree._

_15__th__: Willow Farmer (F, 9) Her throat was slit by Dallas. She fell out of a tree, alerting the alliance to her presence._

_14__th__: Poppy Light (F, 5) Killed by eating a poisonous berry._

_13__th__: Amethyst Diamond (F, 1) Killed in her sleep by Dallas' machete._

_12__th__: Hazel Almond (F, 7) Shot by Alicia's arrow after their tree was chopped down with Dallas' sword._

_11__th__: Graham Axel (M, 7) Killed by Dallas' sword_

_10__th__: Bennett Switch (M, 5) A building collapsed on top of him_.

We read through the list. Alicia and I smile with pride when we read about a death that we were responsible for, we laugh at Amethyst's only kill, and we nod when we read about a death that wasn't explained to us before, like Poppy's and Bennett's.

"Okay," I say. "Let's go to the ruined city now." I start walking.

Alicia is still looking at the list, her face scrunched up in concentration.

"What?" I say impatiently. I want to find some more tributes today!

"I don't think we should go to the ruined city today," Alicia finally says.

"Why not?" I ask incredulously. It's the only place we haven't searched yet.

"Read this," she says, pointing to Bennett's name and his death. "That happened yesterday," she continues. "He was obviously in the ruined city when this happened, and if we were there today, we would definitely have to look through all of the buildings. What if one of them collapsed on us?"

"That wouldn't happen," I say.

"But it could," Alicia says. "Do you really want to take that chance?"

I can tell that there's no way I'll be able to convince her to go to the city today, so I say, "Fine. Let's go to the jungle. There aren't any buildings there."

Alicia smiles with satisfaction, and she follows me into the jungle.

Denver Roots (18) from District 11's POV

I wake up, and then get a dejected feeling in my stomach. Bennett is dead. My only ally is gone. At first, I am sad about his death, but eventually I come to the conclusion that this is for the better.

First, I don't have to share my supplies with anyone. I get twice the amount of food that I did before. And besides, we are in the final nine. Any step closer that I can get to home, I'll embrace it.

Bennett had to die eventually for me to win. And it happened.

There have been fifteen deaths so far. There will be only eight more until I get to go home and to see my family, mostly Ria.

I go outside, and the fact that the sun is shining bright and the dirt road has almost turned to mud tells me that the rain has already happened. I'm a pretty heavy sleeper, so I probably slept through it.

I walk around for a bit. Is the ruined city really so safe, that a building would collapse, killing someone? Should I really stay here?

I decide to stay. I doubt the Gamemakers would do that twice.

I knew the building collapsed on Bennett because I was out hunting. I found a couple squirrels running around the empty streets, so I killed them and I figured that would be enough to last a while with Bennett and me, so I was heading back to the house when I heard an awfully loud noise. It sounded like crashing and breaking down, and somewhere in there I heard a sixteen-year-old boy's scream. I ran to see what it was, and I saw the house we were staying in sunken into an enormous hole in the ground. Then I saw a hovercraft. I ran away and didn't look back because I didn't want to see Bennett's dead body.

And here I am.

I'm looking at houses, trying to decide which one to stay in now when I hear footsteps. I immediately flatten myself to a brick wall. The sounds are coming from just around the corner of the house.

I see a shadow. It's a girl. I can't tell which tribute it is, though. I stand there. I am ready to throw a knife at the tribute whenever I see them.

But the tribute that comes around the corner makes me hesitate.

It's Lilac.

Lilac is the one who reminds me of Ria. Lilac is my district partner.

I can't kill her.

She breathes a little gasp when she sees me, and she immediately says, "Don't kill me! I want to be allies!"

I don't want to be allies with Lilac, but I can't exactly kill her. Ugh. I would have killed any other tribute but her. Why her?

I guess I have a new ally.

Raven Silk (16) from District 8's POV

I wake up with one thought and one thought only: _I need to get out of the desert._

I reached the desert yesterday, late afternoon, but I wanted to go to the forest because the desert offers no protection whatsoever. I kept walking because I really wanted to reach my destination, but no such luck. I walked late into the night, after the anthem and everything, until it was too dark to even see my own body or anything around me and I was about to collapse from fatigue.

I slept in the desert, and I plan to sleep tonight in the forest.

It occurs to me now that I could probably go back to the meadow. The Careers searched it yesterday, and the meadow isn't all that big, so they probably got the whole thing covered. I bet they're searching somewhere else today, so I could probably go back easily.

But then again, I am Raven Silk. And we all know that Raven Silk does not give up, no matter what.

Therefore, I am going to finish my journey and end it in the forest.

I begin walking again.

I think about my encounter with the District 11 girl yesterday. She seemed nice. If I had to pick someone to win besides me, it would probably be her. Or maybe I would pick the girl from District 12. That means, basically, anyone but a Career. I want this to be one of the unusual years, one where an underdog wins.

So there's nine people left, including me. Four of them are Careers. There's no one left from Districts 3, 5, 6, 7, 9, or 10. Districts 2, 11, and 12 have both of their tributes left. And Districts 1, 4, and 8 have one tribute left. This means everyone in the district is counting on me. I am the last one left from home.

I keep walking, thinking about odds and percentages and chances of me winning, of each district winning, things like that. I figure I don't have very good odds at this point. After all, four Careers are still left, along with a boy who got a ten, and district partners who got a nine and an eight. The only one that I think I would be the favorite over is Lilac, the girl from District 11.

Oh, well. It's not like I care. I'll prove to them that I can win.

All of this walking has made me incredibly tired. I finally reach the forest in a couple of hours. Good. The desert sun beating down on me was enough to make me go crazy, especially at midday.

Once I get to the forest, I take a long rest break because I've been nonstop walking for a long time, and then I keep moving. I want to go further in, where there is more protection for me.

I won't give up.

Leo Green (17) from District 12's POV

The forest is mine. I have wandered throughout this place multiple times. None of these trips were successful in finding Stella.

I will find her today. I can feel it.

But then again, I say that every day, and it hasn't worked yet.

I continue walking. I am losing energy and life by the day. I won't last much longer. I can't help but wonder if Stella is feeling the same way. I hope not. I have been starving my entire life, but never anything like this. Back home, if you absolutely had to have something to eat, you could use all of your savings to buy something or you could beg for food. If you were talented and desperate, you could hunt for food while risking Peacekeeper punishment. You could grow something, like fruit or vegetables. If you had an animal like a goat or something, you could make cheese or milk. There are still multiple ways of getting food, even if you're almost dead of starvation.

I can't do any of that here.

The only way to get food here is to get food at the Cornucopia during the bloodbath, find it, or get it from some sponsors.

Option 1 is out of the question, considering that was over six days ago.

Option 2 isn't likely to happen, because I'm awful at survival skills no matter how hard I try, and I know there isn't much edible food here.

The only thing I have left is Option 3 – get stuff from sponsors. But I'm surviving right now, so I'm going to wait to beg for food until I can't stand it anymore, which will probably be sometime tonight. I've learned to only beg when you'll die soon after if you don't get what you need. And I'm not going to die right now.

I might die if I don't find Stella. She must be really hidden. I've probably looked harder than the Careers have, and no one has found her yet. (At least, I don't think so.) I need to protect her.

I don't care if I die in the process. Stella is my top priority right now.

I will find her, even if I am nothing. I will find her.

Jaymes Current (18) from District 4's POV

Today has been an incredibly uneventful day. Jamal and I have done nothing but sit in our tree and talk. I'm not saying it was boring, I'm saying nothing happened. There weren't any tributes that walked past our tree or any cannons or any Gamemaker obstacles.

This means that tomorrow will have at least one of those things.

I am very scared about this, but I don't want to think about it. I want to be grateful for what I have right now, which is peace.

I consider this to be the calm before the storm. Nothing majorly interesting has happened yet during the Games, and I have this feeling in my stomach that says something is going to happen soon.

I'm not anticipating it excitedly like the Capitol citizens probably are. Instead, I am dreading what will happen eventually.

I'm just talking to Jamal, like I have been all day. He's telling me more stories about his mom. Jamal may have been from District One, but his life was about as hard as life could get.

I ask him, "How did you get through all that every single day?"

He answers, "I tell myself the same thing every time something bad happens. I do it here, too. I just say, 'I will be strong. I will be strong.' And instead of breaking down, I force myself to just take it like a man and move on instead of complaining."

I take a moment to let this sink in. This is what I first saw in Jamal, what made me want to be friends with him. He has this silent strength that I can see. He's experienced, and that makes him smart. He's not ruthless and aggressive like Alicia and Dallas (well, really just Dallas). He's a genuinely good person.

Even after all he's been through.

I don't want him to die.

I don't want to die, either.

At least one of us will have to die if there is going to be a Victor.

I shake the thought from my mind. _Don't think about that,_ I tell myself.

I decide to start telling myself the same thing Jamal tells himself. _I will be strong. I will be strong._

I'm going to need a lot of strength to get through these Games.

The anthem plays. The sky proves to us that there have been no deaths today.

I fall asleep quickly, dreading what will come tomorrow.

My last thought before losing myself to dreams is that we have been in the arena for a week now. Today was Day Seven and seven days is a week.

_I will be strong. I will be strong._

**Placings**

**24th: Celeste Rodriguez**

**23rd: McKayla Carr**

**22nd: Hayden Fields**

**21st: Arielle Scales**

**20th: Phoenix Thread**

**19th: Aidan Sprint**

**18th: Austin Stocker**

**17th: Jade Scorpion**

**16th: Hunter Albert**

**15th: Willow Farmer**

**14th: Poppy Light**

**13th: Amethyst Diamond**

**12th: Hazel Almond**

**11th: Graham Axel**

**10th: Bennett Switch**

**Remaining Tributes/Alliances/Locations**

**Alicia/Dallas: By the Cornucopia**

**Jamal/Jaymes: Forest**

**Raven: Forest**

**Denver/Lilac: Ruined City**

**Stella: Forest**

**Leo: Forest**

**Kill List**

**Dallas: McKayla, Aidan, Willow, Amethyst, Graham**

**Alicia: Jade, Hunter, Hazel**

**Celeste: Herself**

**Amethyst: Hayden**

**Jamal: Arielle**

**Jaymes: Phoenix**

**Denver: Austin**

**Ok, this chapter was a filler, but as Jaymes predicts, the next day will be very interesting... It's definitely going to be hard to write. But anyway, I'm going away for two days tomorrow, so I won't be back till Saturday. Don't expect an update until at least Sunday. **

**Remember: What do you like to do? Review! Review!**

**Vote in the poll. Please. I'm begging you.**


	22. Chapter 22 - Day 8

**Okay! Here's Chapter 22! This chapter broke my heart to write, but at the same time, it's my favorite so far. It's also only my second chapter over 3,000 words. Which means... I have reached 50,000 words! Yay! This will probably be my last chapter for a while, as I am leaving for a week-long vacation on Wednesday. I can try to get another chapter done before I leave, but I doubt it. Anyway, here's Day 8 in the arena!**

Chapter 22

Lilac Rosen (12) from District 11's POV

I feel desperate. That's the only reason I begged for an alliance with Denver – because I knew he would kill me if I didn't.

I mean, I feel better than I did yesterday, that's for sure. I have food, shelter, and an ally with weapons to protect me. But I also feel guilty. I didn't give him anything in return. I'm scared that he feels like I am hurting his chances of winning. I have this dangerous feeling in my gut, like he could stab me in the back any minute.

We are taking shelter in one of the buildings. Our trick (well, Denver's trick really) is to find houses with basements and hide there. The doors to the basements are usually hidden, so it would be incredibly difficult for anyone to find us in the basement.

Denver tells me about his old ally, Bennett, and how he just died less than two days ago. I can detect the certain sadness in his voice when he talks about Bennett. I can see that he's kind of over the death now, but they were friends. I could see that during training, they had this silent friendship but it was strong.

Maybe that's one of the reasons he hesitated to accept my offer of an alliance. He already lost one ally. Maybe he doesn't want to lose another.

Now, for the first time, I see both sides of the story. You don't want to lose the Hunger Games, because obviously you'll be dead, but winning isn't exactly great either. Basically, when you get reaped for the Hunger Games, it ruins your life. Permanently. No matter what ends up happening in the arena, you'll be damaged beyond repair forever.

See, if Denver wins, I'll die. Then he'll have Bennett's death and my death held over him forever. And it's hard to have two friends die. You don't get over that quickly. To top it all off, he'll never go back to living the life he used to live. And from what he's said to me, Denver enjoyed his old quiet life, with his family and friends. He'll have this fame and glory that he will never be able to get rid of, no matter how hard he tries to.

Although I do get the feeling that I'm not as close to Denver as Bennett was.

Plus, they made that alliance when there were still 24 tributes and no deaths. There are only nine tributes left now, so it's kind of late in the Games to be forming alliances. I'm so scared that he regrets his decision of saying yes. What if he kills me?

I guess it's okay, though, because right now I'd be dead anyway if that didn't happen.

Leo Green (17) from District 12's POV

I am running out of energy. It's almost gone. If there's a stage right before death, I am at that stage. It's a hopeless feeling.

I have not eaten in days. I was skinny before, not as skinny as Stella, but still. Now I can easily look down and count my ribs.

I'm not as thirsty as my hunger, thanks to the daily morning rain. I woke up today feeling like death could come any second, but then the rain came and at least gave me something to drink. Now I have at least a little more energy than before.

But my body aches desperately, and I question how much farther I can go on.

Every time I think that, though, I manage to persuade myself to keep going, because I picture Stella out there as hungry and desperate as I am, and that makes a fire start in my brain, which gives me the drive to keep going on my everlasting search.

I wandered around last night until I couldn't stand up without collapsing, until the sky was black and I couldn't even see my hands when I looked down, until stars covered the sky, making beautiful patterns that convinced me to lay down and appreciate them.

Stella.

The stars remind me of her name. I did lie down and appreciate the beautiful designs, because every night could be my last.

Then I got up early this morning, right before the rain, and felt this awful sensation. I felt like I was dying yesterday, but I was wrong. I was dying this morning. And then the rain came and made me feel just a little bit better. But now I'm back to feeling like death.

Without even realizing it, I collapse again in a pile of leaves, and I'm afraid that this is the end.

And I'm about to lose myself when an image flashes in my mind.

It's Stella's face, exhausted and hungry and scarred for life.

I open my eyes.

I may feel dizzy and weak. But I could get up. And even if I did get up only to collapse again, so be it. I will know I died trying.

It seems like that phrase runs through my head all too often.

I see the image of Stella again, and I feel the fire in my brain.

I get up and I keep moving.

Alicia Swords (17) from District 2's POV

I feel frustrated beyond repair. It is the eighth day in the arena, and we haven't actually found anybody since Day Five. That was three days ago.

We're the Careers! Isn't this our job, to find the tributes and kill them? No one has died since a building collapsed on the boy from District 5 two days ago. (What was his name? Benjamin or something?) Anyway, though, we better find someone soon.

I'm honestly hoping we find the people from Districts 11 or 12. It's annoying me that they've gone so far.

Dallas has his heart set on finding Jamal and Jaymes. He wanted to go back today and search the forest again, because he's convinced that that's where they are. I am, too, but I don't tell him that.

"Can we please search the forest again today?" Dallas pleaded this morning. "I know that's where they are, we just need to find them."

"No," I replied firmly. Not only are Jaymes and Jamal my friends, they took weapons with them and they're pretty talented. I hate to say this, but if they got lucky, they could beat us in a fight.

"Why not?" Dallas asked.

"We've already searched there, and we haven't found them. Let's search somewhere else. We'll be more likely to find them then."

"How about we search the ruined city?" he asked hopefully. I know that besides Jamal and Jaymes, his biggest target is the boy from District Eleven.

"I have an idea," I said, "Why don't we search the desert or the meadow today and then we can search the city tomorrow? I'm still worried about the buildings. Let's wait one more day, and then we'll go."

He sighed in frustration. "Fine."

Dallas picked up his sword and some knives and, with a huff, stormed off in the direction of the desert.

I grabbed my bow and sheath of arrows and followed him.

And here we are. We're in the desert, and again, we haven't found anything. Or, more appropriately, we haven't found anyone.

I want to find someone, just to prove Dallas wrong, that even if we don't search the forest or the ruined city, we can find people.

We sit down to eat a lunch of granola bars and to take a little rest break. We're really sore from all of the constant walking we've been doing every day. The Games are exhausting, even for people like Dallas and me, who have food and water.

"I'm so mad!" exclaims Dallas. He takes the wrapper off of his granola bar and chucks it into the distance, as far as he can throw.

"It's okay, Dallas," I say, trying somewhat to comfort him. "We'll find someone eventually, as long as we keep trying."

"That's what you tell me every day!" he roars. "And we can't find anyone! We'll never be able to!"

"Dallas," I say again. I put my hands on his shoulders. "Look at me."

I look into his golden brown eyes, which used to be filled with triumph and glory and pride. Now, they're angry and filled with rage. But I see something else, something I have never seen in Dallas.

In his eyes, I find sadness. I find hopelessness.

"We can do this," I say. "We have worked for this our entire lives. We just need to believe we can find people, and we will."

"But, we've worked so hard and it's not enough, Alicia," he says. I hear a faint quiver in his voice and I'm in shock. I have never seen Dallas cry. Never, in my almost ten years of knowing him at the training academy, have I seen Dallas even flinch. He's always been a rock, before and during the Games. But I guess even people like Dallas reach their breaking point. And I guess this is his.

He immediately clears his throat. "We've tried to find people. You think we should believe? Been there, done that. I don't have any belief left. I have dedicated my whole self to this, and _it's not enough, _Alicia. It _obviously _hasn't been enough."

"Relax," I tell him. "We're going to keep moving. We're not going to give up, no matter what. We will show everyone just how strong we are, and one of us _will _win these Games."

A little bit of hope replaces the despair in his eyes.

"I promise," I whisper.

Jamal Gold (17) from District 1's POV

I'm beginning to wonder… Where are all of the other tributes? There are seven people left besides Jaymes and me. There are the Careers (well, what's left of them since Jaymes and I left), who are by the Cornucopia. There are four people whose location I am aware of (Alicia, Dallas, Jaymes, and me) and five people whose location I am unaware of (the girl from 8 and all of the tributes from 11 and 12). I wonder where they all are.

We haven't seen any other tributes since Day Five when Dallas and Alicia killed both tributes from District Seven. Since then, basically nothing has happened to us whatsoever. Except for the fact that we're starting to run out of food.

It's really not that big of a problem, at least not yet, we still have enough food to last us at least two more days. I don't have any idea what we'll do after two days when we have no food left.

I guess we'll cross that bridge when we come to it.

As I'm thinking about all the tributes, ironically, I see one of them.

Actually, I hear it first. There's some rustling in the leaves on the ground and I hear footsteps. Jaymes and I look at each other with wide eyes.

Then we see the tribute. It's the girl from District 12, Stella.

Her once silky dark hair is tangled and her once sparkling blue eyes have a wild look to them. She looks completely and thoroughly exhausted. I wonder how much longer she would last.

She looks unarmed, and suddenly a thought crosses over my mind.

I could easily kill her.

_No, Jamal_, I think. _Remember how you felt the last time you killed someone?_

_But it's the final nine. If you want to win, you need to kill. And that's one step closer to going home._

_But you can't! That would be going against everything you and Jaymes have ever told yourselves._

_Yes, but that was before. That was before the final nine could be narrowed down to the final eight. It's easier to say you won't kill when you haven't seen tributes for three days. But here's your shot._

_What's the right thing to do?_

_If you don't kill her, the Gamemakers will never let you be the Victor._

I look at Jaymes, and I look down at Stella. She doesn't see us.

Silently, I grab a spear and start to slowly climb down the tree.

Jaymes looks at me in horror. "What are you doing?" he mouths anxiously.

"I have to do it," I mouth back.

I keep climbing.

My feet touch the ground.

I take one step and Stella whips her head around.

I prepare to throw.

Stella Canary (15) from District 12's POV

I freeze in shock.

My mind tells me either to run away as fast as possible from the boy from District 1 or throw my knife at him. But for some crazy reason, I can't do either one of those. My feet are glued to the ground.

A weird expression passes across his face as he brings his arm back to throw and then everything seems to go in slow motion.

I am vaguely aware of a rustling to the right of me but I ignore it.

At least, I ignore it until the spear leaves the boy's hands and I can't even scream.

This is until a figure jumps right in front of me. And it registers in my mind that the figure was the source of the faint rustling to my right.

I hear the thud of the spear as it finds its mark.

But I don't feel anything.

That's when I realize – the spear never found me. It found the figure.

And that's when I realize who the figure is.

Leo.

I let out something in between a gasp and a scream.

No. This can't be happening.

But first, I direct my attention to the monster in front of me. He only had one spear, and we're ten feet away from him, and I do what I've trained myself to do.

I pull my knife out of my belt.

And I throw it.

It hits the boy from District 1 right in the heart. Good. He broke my heart.

Now I get to break his.

The boy from District 1 gasps, and coughs out a word. I can't tell what it is. I don't care. District 1's cannon goes off, and all I can think is _Leo._

I kneel down, where he's gasping for breath.

"Leo, I'm so sorry," I say in a strangled voice.

"It's – okay," he manages to get out.

At first, I tried to be strong and hold the tears back.

Now I realize that it's impossible.

I let the tears fall.

I'm about to say something, but Leo keeps talking.

"I wanted to save you," he whispers. "I spent the last three days looking for you. My goal from the beginning was to protect you."

Guilt floods my body.

Tears are running down my face now, but I don't acknowledge them.

"Win for me," he says.

And I will. I will win for Leo.

"I love you," Leo says. His face is a ghastly white and I can tell that time is running out.

"Leo," I say. "I'm sorry."

He closes his eyes, and the cannon booms. The sound rings through my ears. It seems like the loudest thing I've ever heard.

"Goodbye," I say. My tears fall onto Leo's still body.

I am sorry.

I am sorry for everything. For getting this close to Leo and then losing him. I am sorry for killing that boy, although I don't feel bad about it now. I'm sure the guilt will come later. I am sorry for what everyone must think of me now for becoming a killer. But most of all, I am sorry for Leo. I am sorry that I couldn't protect him.

He died for me.

I run. I don't know how long I run or how fast.

I don't care.

I keep running and running and running until I break down in sobs.

The anthem starts to play, and I see the boy from District 1. Jamal, his name was. He is dead because of me.

Then I see Leo in the sky. I get to see his smiling face one last time.

And then he's gone.

I'm sorry.

**Jamal Gold (17) from District 1 - killed by a knife thrown by Stella**Jamal! You were one of my favorites! I was so sad writing this part. You don't even know. It was your time, though. You betrayed your ally and went against your morals. You will be seriously missed, though!

**Leo Green (17) from District 12****- killed by a spear thrown by Jamal** Leo, you were another favorite of mine. I never had you winning, though - you always were going to die for Stella. And I think it worked out the way it should have. You were a great person. R.I.P.

**Placings**

**24th: Celeste Rodriguez**

**23rd: McKayla Carr**

**22nd: Hayden Fields**

**21st: Arielle Scales**

**20th: Phoenix Thread**

**19th: Aidan Sprint**

**18th: Austin Stocker**

**17th: Jade Scorpion**

**16th: Hunter Albert**

**15th: Willow Farmer**

**14th: Poppy Light**

**13th: Amethyst Diamond**

**12th: Hazel Almond**

**11th: Graham Axel**

**10th: Bennett Switch**

**9th: Jamal Gold**

**8th: Leo Green**

**Remaining Tributes/Alliances/Locations**

**Alicia/Dallas: By the Cornucopia**

**Jaymes: Forest**

**Raven: Forest**

**Denver/Lilac: Ruined City**

**Stella: Forest**

**Kill List**

**Dallas: McKayla, Aidan, Willow, Amethyst, Graham**

**Alicia: Jade, Hunter, Hazel**

**Jamal: Arielle, Leo**

**Celeste: Herself**

**Amethyst: Hayden**

**Jaymes: Phoenix**

**Denver: Austin**

**Stella: Jamal**

**Wow! So, final seven! Who do you think will win? Who do you hope will win? Leave your answers in a review!**

**I updated the poll again, so keep voting! Please!**

**The next chapter will either be out in the next couple days or in two weeks or so. We'll see. Also, I'm thinking about doing an SYOT for my next story? Should I? I think it would be fun but I also think that I will only get, like, two tributes. So I don't know.**


	23. Chapter 23 - Final Seven Interviews

**Hey everyone! I am sorry for the long wait, but here is the chapter! I decided to do a chapter for the final seven interviews, so you can get to know the people that are closest to all of the tributes. Note: Evan Darling is interviewing everybody.**

Final 7 Interviews

Alicia Swords (17) from District 2:

People Interviewed: Parents, younger brother (August, 15 years old), friends (Rylee, Meghan, and Charlotte - 17, 16, and 17 years old)

Evan: So long has Alicia been preparing to go into the Games?

Alicia's Dad: Alicia has been training for ten years, since she was seven years old.

Evan: So you think Alicia can win this?

Alicia's Mom: Absolutely! She will win the Games. We've always known she's had a special talent for this.

Evan: August, are you planning to volunteer for the Games when you are old enough?

August: I hope. It all depends on what my trainer decides is best for the District.

Evan: What is your weapon of choice?

August: I like swords, but I prefer knives over any other weapon.

Evan: How long have you all known Alicia?

Meghan: Since we started training. We all started the same year.

Evan: Do you all go to school together?

Charlotte: Yes, we're all in the same class and the four of us are inseparable. We're always together.

Evan: Did Alicia know her ally, Dallas, before they went into the Games?

Rylee: Yeah, we all trained together, but they weren't super close friends or anything. They talked sometimes, but nothing major.

Evan: If you could give Alicia one piece of advice to win, what would it be?

Alicia's Dad: I would say to stick with Dallas, but don't be afraid to kill him eventually. She should keep her eyes on the prize and nothing but that.

Evan: Well, that's all we need. My best wishes go out to Alicia and those close to her.

Dallas Woods (18) from District 2:

People Interviewed: Dad, trainer, friends (Brady and Patrick - both 18 years old)

Evan: What do you think gives Dallas such fierce determination to win the Games?

Dallas' Dad: My wife died in an accident when Dallas was eleven. He had always been serious about training, but when that happened, he started dedicating his whole life to it. I think he wants to bring me happiness and glory again, because I haven't had that in seven years.

Evan: So, you, as his trainer, must play a big role in Dallas' life. Am I correct?

Dallas' Trainer: Yes. I have always been good friends with Dallas' dad, so I understood when his mom died. I knew that he really wanted to do nothing but train, so I supported him completely and helped him however I could.

Evan: And you believed that Dallas was really ready for the Games this year?

Dallas' Trainer: I definitely don't regret my decision. Dallas has proved that he is the biggest threat this year.

Evan: What do you all think about Dallas' alliance with his District partner, Alicia?

Patrick: We knew Alicia from training. She's nice enough, but I mean, I think they're dangerously close right now, considering there are only seven people left.

Brady: Alicia is talented, and of the people left, she's probably the best ally for Dallas to have, but Dallas is the best one left. I have no doubt that he will win.

Evan: If you could give Dallas one piece of advice to win, what would it be?

Dallas' Dad: I would tell him to keep being aggressive and kill tributes until he is the only one remaining. I want my son to come back home.

Jaymes Current (18) from District 4:

People Interviewed: Parents, sisters (Jenna, Josie, and Jaclyn - 11, 11, and 9 years old), best friend (Brandon, 18 years old)

Evan: Jaymes is obviously very talented, as he got a ten in training and made it to the final seven. Why didn't he volunteer for the Games?

Jaymes' Mom: Jaymes didn't volunteer because he didn't want to leave us. He has always said that his family is his top priority.

Evan: So you believe his motivation for the Games is coming back home for you guys?

Jaymes' Dad: Yes. Jaymes has always been very responsible and protective of his siblings, and he has made it clear that he would do anything for us.

Evan: Jenna and Josie, you two are twins, correct?

Josie: Yes.

Evan: What kind of person was Jaymes before he got reaped?

Jenna: Jaymes was very smart and respectful to everyone. He still is.

Josie: He would always do our chores for us and give us his food. He put others before himself.

Evan: Jaclyn, how badly do you want Jaymes to win?

Jaclyn: Jaymes is the best brother ever. I really want him to come back. I miss him a lot and it's really sad here without him.

Evan: So Jaymes' ally, Jamal, just died. What is your opinion about this?

Brandon: I thought Jamal seemed like a very kind person. I think Jaymes, Jamal, and I would have been friends if he was from District Four. But I think Jamal got what he deserved for going against what he and Jaymes believed.

Evan: If you could give Jaymes one piece of advice to win, what would it be?

Jaclyn: Do whatever he can to win. I promise I will do all of my chores. I just want Jaymes to come back.

Raven Silk (16) from District 8:

People Interviewed: Parents, older brother (Shawn, 19 years old), younger sisters (Charla, Kylie - 13 and 12 years old)

Evan: During my pre-Games interview with Raven, she told us how she managed to get up and go get food for you when you were starving. Is this right?

Raven's Mom: Yes. We were all weak in our physical capability and in our mental capability, but being the strong-willed person that she is, Raven forced herself to do something about it.

Evan: Do you believe that Raven's mental strength is what has kept her in the Games so long?

Raven's Dad: That's certainly part of it. She's smart, and determined. From what we've seen, I'm assuming she's picked up a talent with spears.

Evan: Shawn, were you expecting Raven's impressive score of seven? What do you think she did to achieve that score?

Shawn: I knew that Raven would do well, but we weren't expecting a seven. That's above average. I bet she used her smarts, and maybe used a spear. I don't know, we haven't really seen her use her spear other than to hunt animals.

Evan: Charla, Raven's allies are no longer with us, but what did you think of them when they were?

Charla: I approved of them very much. I thought Jade seemed very intelligent and would be helpful in the arena, I thought Poppy seemed like a great friend to have and a very interesting person to be around, and I thought McKayla seemed like a great person and a source of happiness in the arena. We were all very sad when they passed away.

Evan: Kylie, what were you thinking when Raven didn't kill Lilac, the only twelve-year-old in the arena?

Kylie: I thought that it was really honorable of Raven to do that. Lilac seems really nice, and I would have been upset if Raven killed her. I would have understood, but still.

Evan: If you could give Raven one piece of advice to win, what would it be?

Shawn: Don't give up, no matter what. It's not over until it's over.

Lilac Rosen (12) from District 11:

People Interviewed: Parents, older sister (Daffodil, 14 years old), younger brother (Davis, 9 years old)

Evan: Did you expect Lilac to make it this far in the Games?

Lilac's Dad: Well, I don't think any of us were expecting it, but I'm not shocked. Surprised, yes, but not shocked.

Evan: Do you think Lilac has a chance of winning?

Lilac's Mom: Absolutely. If she can make it to the final seven, she has proven that she can survive and that she has what it takes.

Evan: Daffodil, what do you think of Lilac's new ally, Denver?

Daffodil: I am thrilled that Lilac has allied with her district partner. It obviously benefits her, and now the whole district is completely supporting their team.

Evan: Davis, are you proud of your big sister?

Davis: Yes, but I miss her. It's not the same.

Evan: Lilac is the youngest tribute left. She was the youngest tribute to begin with, but the next oldest tribute is fifteen years old. Do you think her age is holding her back from winning?

Lilac's Mom: As long as she believes that she can win, we believe that she can win.

Evan: If you could give Lilac one piece of advice to win, what would it be?

Lilac's Dad: Don't lose hope. She has it in her to win, so she needs to have faith in herself.

Denver Roots (18) from District 11:

People Interviewed: Parents, younger sister (Ria, 12 years old), best friend (Ray, 17 years old)

Evan: Denver got a score of ten, tying for the second highest score. Were you expecting this from him?

Denver's Mom: I can't say we expected it, but we were thrilled when it happened.

Evan: Despite being considered one of the biggest threats left in the Games, Denver only has one kill, and it happened on the first day. What do you think is the reason for this?

Denver's Dad: Denver is talented, but he's a good person. I don't think he really wants to kill. He only does what he has to do to survive.

Evan: Ria, Denver has talked about you a lot in his pre-Games interview and in the Games as well. What do you think about this?

Ria: I know Denver cares about me and I care about him too. I'm glad to see that I mean so much to him.

Evan: Ray, what do you think about Denver's old ally, Bennett?

Ray: I liked him. I thought he and Denver got along well, and their relationship was similar to my friendship with Denver.

Evan: What do you think about his new ally, Lilac?

Ray: On one hand, I'm proud that Denver allied with his district partner, because if he didn't, the district wouldn't approve of him. And I don't think anyone wants Lilac to die. But she's not really benefiting him, because he has to share everything with her.

Evan: If you could give Denver one piece of advice to win, what would it be?

Denver's Mom: Focus on yourself and yourself only and do anything you can to come back home, even if it involves killing.

Stella Canary (15) from District 12:

People Interviewed: Parents, friends (McKenna, Zoe, and Elise - 16, 15, and 16 years old)

Evan: Stella is the second youngest tribute left in the Games and her odds of winning have increased along the way. How do you feel about this?

Stella's Dad: I feel that Stella is proving herself more and more each day.

Evan: Stella just recently got her first kill. What is your opinion about this?

Stella's Dad: We completely support her decision, because now she has showed what she is capable of, and besides, she had to kill the person who killed her friend. I would have done the same thing.

Evan: How do you feel about Stella's ex-boyfriend, Leo, who died to save Stella?

Stella's Mom: I've known Leo since he was born, because I am best friends with his mom. I fully believe that he and Stella would be in a relationship if it wasn't for the Games. Everyone was devastated when Leo was killed. The fact that he died for my daughter... it just goes to show what a great person he is... was.

Evan: So, you three are Stella's best friends? How do you all know her?

Elise: McKenna and I know her from school - the three of us have been friends since first grade. Zoe is a year below us in school, but she and Stella are neighbors, so the four of us are together a lot.

Evan: Did you all know how talented with a knife Stella was?

McKenna: We had no idea. We were all shocked when Stella killed Jamal on her first try.

Evan: District 12 is not normally known for having people go far in the Games. Stella has impressed us all in the Capitol - has she impressed her home district?

Zoe: Definitely. Everyone gathers to watch her during the day, and I always see people saving and pooling their money to sponsor Stella. We're very proud to have a tribute in the final seven.

Evan: If you could give Stella one piece of advice to win, what would it be?

Stella's Dad: Stella should just keep doing what she's doing. She is playing the game the right way while sticking true to herself. I am so proud of her.

**Ok! I am proud to announce that I have the whole Games planned out. This means I know the Victor, who's dying when, and everything else. Yay! I will have Day 9 up soon. There'll be that, then Day 10, then I'm splitting Day 11 into two parts because that's the final day. Then I'll have the post-Games interview chapter, and a victory tour chapter. Finally, I'll have a statistics/thank you's chapter. So this story should only be about 7 more chapters! Wow!**

**Remember to read, review, follow, favorite, and vote!**

**- Ashley**


	24. Chapter 24 - Day 9

**Chapter 24! Okay, this is a somewhat exciting chapter... It was kind of sad for me to write, but it's at least interesting. And I am proud to announce that all of the remaining chapters (at least the ones during the Games), including this one, will have at least one death in them! Here's the chapter.**

Chapter 24

Dallas Woods (18) from District 2

I wake up, feeling recharged and more determined than ever. Alicia and I are in the final seven. Seventeen down, six left to go.

And then there'll be the victor.

Me.

Alicia isn't up yet, which is a surprise because she always wakes up before me and it's usually her that's shaking me awake. I cautiously open the flap to our tent and find that the rain is still going on. Actually, I don't think I've ever been awake to see the rain at all during the Games, now that I think about it, but I am awake now, and I watch in fascination as everything is soaked and the once-hard ground turns to thick mud.

Once the rain is over, I walk over to Alicia's sleeping bag to wake her up. She's curled up into a ball on her side, so I push her back so she's laying on her back now. I can see her long, flowing dark hair and her tan skin, but her chocolate-brown eyes are closed. Well, I'm about to fix that. I'm about to tap her on the shoulder and whisper for her to wake up, but that's when I see her face.

There is a single tear sliding down it.

I'm not really sure what to make of this. Was she having a nightmare, or is she just really sad? I think back to last night, when the faces were shown in the sky. It was revealed that Jamal was dead. Alicia, who, earlier in the day, had been the happy one, the one comforting me, turned mad. She wouldn't speak unless I asked her a question, and even then, she wouldn't give more than a one-word answer. When she talked, instead of her normal clear voice, she answered in a low I-don't-care voice.

Is she really that upset over Jamal's death? I know for a fact that if he were still here, he wouldn't be dead. But I still don't get it. They weren't super close friends, she's closer to me now and she used to be closer to Jaymes than she was to Jamal, and they're not District partners or anything. If his death affects her that much, what would happen if Jaymes died? Or me?

Forget that. There's no way I'm dying in here.

I decide to ignore the tear, and I shake her awake. Embarrassed, she quickly wipes her face and puts her hair up in a simple ponytail.

"Let's get going," she says without emotion. "I want these Games to end as soon as possible."

I don't argue, I simply follow her as she walks towards the ruined city. Good, I really want to go there.

We had better find someone today. I don't think I can stand it anymore.

Raven Silk (16) from District 8's POV

The deed is done. I have walked all the way to the other side of the arena. I have taken a journey from the meadow to the forest.

Now I'm up in a tree, feeling way better than I have at all during these Games. Maybe I have a chance. I have weapons. If someone were to walk under my tree, I could kill. I smile at this thought. Before now, I've been concerned only about my survival. Now that I feel safe, I can be more offensive. I feel dangerous.

This is the first day in a while that I'm not walking around, sore and tired. Today I get to relax and plan out the rest of my Games.

I plan to stay here in the forest. I won't hunt for tributes, but if a tribute comes by, I'll kill them. I'll wait it out, and then when it comes to the final battle, I won't be afraid to go and fight. May the best tribute win.

I believe that it could be me. I try to have faith, and I truly believe that I have the inner strength to survive the Games. I really do.

I have a sudden flashback to my pre-Games interview with Evan Darling. That was the first time that I felt as if I had a chance of winning the Games. In my beautiful, enchanted-feeling dress, I felt unstoppable, like I could conquer the world right then.

I know that sounds really silly, but it's true. I did feel like that.

Then, in my actual interview, I remember everything vividly. All of the questions Evan asked me, all the answers I gave.

I hear his voice in my head, over and over. "I see we have a _survivor_ here!" Evan says. "Let's hear it for Raven Silk, the _survivor_!"

For the first time since arriving at the Capitol, I felt hope. The cheering crowds and the special treatment and everything, it energized me. I felt incredibly changed after being at the Capitol.

I snap back to reality, where my stomach is growling like crazy.

I check my pack for food, and I only find a pack of crackers. That will last me, for what? It'll probably last the rest of today.

I need to find more food.

Just as I'm thinking this, I hear trumpets.

The sound startles me, and I almost fall out of the tree. I hear Evan Darling's voice, identical to the one in my daydream.

"Tributes," he booms. "Congratulations on making it to the final seven of the 127th Hunger Games. We would like to invite you to a feast at the Cornucopia tomorrow, beginning at dawn. If there's something essential for you to survive, it will be there. Thank you, tributes, and may the odds be ever in your favor."

I need to go. I need to go, or else I'll starve.

Jaymes Current (18) from District 4's POV

I can't go to the feast. I know that if I go there, I'll die for sure.

Dallas and Alicia will be there, no doubt. And I know that if one of them sees me, they'll forget what they're doing and kill me. Especially Dallas. Besides them, I probably have the greatest odds of winning right now.

Who's left? Who's in the final seven? Well, obviously, Alicia, Dallas, and me are left. There's the girl from District Twelve that killed Jamal yesterday and ran. I'm pretty sure both tributes from District Eleven are still alive, the little twelve-year-old girl and the strong eighteen-year-old boy. I wonder if they're allied, because I doubt the twelve-year-old would still be alive if she didn't have a stronger ally to help her. There's one more person. Who is it? I rack my brain and I come up with the girl from District Eight. Oh, yes. She's the redhead that Evan kept calling a survivor. I'm surprised that she made it this far as well. But I guess if she's such a survivor, it only makes sense.

Now I try to figure out the odds. Dallas is first, no doubt, and I bet that Alicia's a close second. I'm probably next, because I'm hidden well with food, water, and weapons. Then who? Probably the guy from District Eleven is, the eighteen-year-old. The girl from District Twelve might be next, because she has a knife and, from what I saw, she's really good with it. I think I remember that girl getting a really high score in training.

Okay, I have no idea where the girl from District Eight is, or if she has weapons, or if she has food or anything. If the girl from District Eleven has allied with her district partner, she's probably got better odds because I remember that the boy is really good with a sword and that his score tied with my score and Alicia's score.

Yeah, it's final. I'm not going to the feast – it's too much a risk and I know full well that I would be the number-one target.

I just want to go home. I'll let everyone fight it out. I just really, really, really want to see my sisters again.

Alicia Swords (17) from District 2's POV

When I hear the announcement of the feast, I brighten up a bit.

I just want to get these Games over with. I want to go home.

The feast will help, because at least one person always dies during a feast. I'm guessing that by tomorrow night, we'll be down to the final five at most. Maybe even the final four will be decided.

And I will be one of those final four. I'll be the last one standing. Because I've decided that I don't care anymore. I've finally discovered what these Games are all about. It's not about honor and courage and loyalty like everyone thinks it is. The Games are cruel, and they'll change me forever, whether I die or not.

Jamal died yesterday afternoon. When I saw his face in the sky was when I discovered what the true meaning of the Games is. It's stupid, really. The Capitol loves watching innocent children die. All of this is just about entertaining the Capitol citizens.

And I've been a total pawn. I've played along the entire time.

But I'm smart. I know not to go on a rampage and refuse to kill anyone and try to start some crazy revolution. That's what happened during the second rebellion, and it failed. And so here we are, fighting to the death in a stupid Game that's just to give the Capitol citizens some drama to be able to talk about with their friends.

So I continue being a pawn. It kills me, but I know that I have to.

We haven't found anyone yet today. (Surprise, surprise!) I don't think Dallas is too mad about it, though, because he knows that there will be deaths tomorrow, deaths that we'll probably be responsible for.

That thought fills him with happiness. It fills me with pure dread.

I'll still kill, but only because I've decided to stop feeling. There's no point in feeling if you're only going to get heartbroken in the end.

Denver Roots (18) from District 11's POV

It's been a boring day today. Lilac and I just kind of sat around, waiting for something to happen. And nothing ever did happen.

Except for the announcement of the feast. That was somewhat exciting. We made a plan that I would go and bring my weapons and get our supplies, and Lilac would stay back because we both know that she would probably die if she went there.

Lilac is scared for me to go to the feast, but I kind of have to.

After all, we have, like, no food left. We would have plenty of food left if I didn't ally with Lilac. But I didn't really have a choice.

And it's done and over with, and now we don't have any food left.

Which is why I have to go to the feast.

The anthem starts, and Lilac and I quickly rub the dust off of the window of the upstairs bedroom of the house we're staying in.

We can just barely see that there have been no deaths today. Oh, well. It's not like we were expecting anything anyway.

"I'll take watch," I say, because I have a plan.

"Okay, thanks," she says, and curls up on the floor.

I wait a while, impatiently, until I know for sure Lilac is asleep.

I hear her steady breathing and her eyes are closed. She looks peaceful.

We're down to the final seven. I'm tired and bored and homesick. If I want to see Ria again, I'm going to have to do something.

I take a deep breath. I've made a decision. I want to survive.

Slowly and quietly, I make my way across the room where I keep my weapons. I grab a knife from the small pile and walk back.

I take one last look at Lilac, her dirty blonde hair and her pale skin. Those features are uncommon in District Eleven. Her skinny body is laid on its side, and her freckles are dotted across her face.

I flip Lilac over so her body is facing up, and before I can hesitate or reconsider my decision, I reach up and slide my knife across her throat.

She opens her eyes, frantically looking around and making small panicked noises, and I purposely look away.

I don't want to see this.

Maybe a couple seconds pass by before the cannon rings out, but it feels like a lifetime.

I lay down on the floor. The roof is taken off of the building. A hovercraft comes and picks up Lilac's fragile, dead body. Then the roof is reattached to the house again. I close my eyes.

I am a monster.

**Lilac Rosen (12) from District 11 - throat was slit by Denver's knife**Lilac was cute and little and a fan favorite (but for some reason she didn't get any votes in the poll), but it was her time. She died unfairly, yes, but she never would have won the Games.

**Placings**

**24th: Celeste Rodriguez**

**23rd: McKayla Carr**

**22nd: Hayden Fields**

**21st: Arielle Scales**

**20th: Phoenix Thread**

**19th: Aidan Sprint**

**18th: Austin Stocker**

**17th: Jade Scorpion**

**16th: Hunter Albert**

**15th: Willow Farmer**

**14th: Poppy Light**

**13th: Amethyst Diamond**

**12th: Hazel Almond**

**11th: Graham Axel**

**10th: Bennett Switch**

**9th: Jamal Gold**

**8th: Leo Green**

**7th: Lilac Rosen**

**Remaining Tributes/Alliances/Locations**

**Alicia/Dallas: By the Cornucopia**

**Jaymes: Forest**

**Raven: Forest**

**Denver: Ruined City**

**Stella: Forest**

**Kill List**

**Dallas: McKayla, Aidan, Willow, Amethyst, Graham**

**Alicia: Jade, Hunter, Hazel**

**Jamal: Arielle, Leo**

**Denver: Austin, Lilac**

**Celeste: Herself**

**Amethyst: Hayden**

**Jaymes: Phoenix**

**Stella: Jamal**

**Okay, the next chapter is the feast!**

**I also have made a new poll. Since the Games are already planned out and I know who will win, I've made one where you can guess who you think will be in the final two. I'd love it if you could vote, and if you're a guest, you can leave your guesses via review. I want to see how many people get it right!**

**Can't wait for the next chapter! :)**

**- Ashley**


	25. Chapter 25 - Day 10

**Here it is! The feast. Warning: There will be at least one death in this chapter.**

Chapter 25

Jaymes Current (18) from District 4's POV

I wake up in a good mood for the first time in a long time. I am one hundred percent satisfied with my decision to skip the feast. I have weapons, food, water, and supplies with me and I don't need anything at the feast. I can sit back and relax without worrying about being killed. I'm really excited about this.

I have a feeling that by tonight, we'll be down to the final four. It's already down to six of us, and usually most everyone shows at the feast. And I know that Dallas and Alicia are not afraid to kill.

If it's the final four tonight, tomorrow will probably be the last day. Wow.

In less than two days, I could be out of the arena. I could be on my way home.

I could be a Victor.

The thought makes me smile, not because I want to win the stupid Hunger Games, but because I want to go home and go back to living my life with my family. I want to fish all day and swim in the ocean. I want to live in a house in the Victors' Village and always have food for my family and protect them forever.

That's why I'm so set on winning the Games, on becoming a Victor.

I try to think about everyone that would be at the feast, and who would have a chance at being killed. Someone died last night - I'm not sure who it was yet. Let's see – Dallas and Alicia will definitely be at the feast. The guy from District Eleven will probably go. I'm not going. I don't think the other three – the girl from District Eight, the girl from District Eleven, and the girl from District Twelve – would go to the feast for a fight, but there might be supplies or something that they needed.

Every time I think of the girl from District Twelve, I get an ache in my chest. She killed Jamal. I don't blame her for it; Jamal did kill her ex-boyfriend/lover, so she kind of had to. And Jamal did betray our beliefs and basically the whole reason we left the Career pack in the first place. So in a way, he kind of deserved it.

But no matter what Jamal did, he was still my friend. And I miss him a lot.

I shake Jamal out of my head. He's in a better place now – away from his mom and away from the Capitol and the Hunger Games.

I am about to fall asleep when I notice something. Usually, by this time, the rain is done. I've been awake for a while, so I know I didn't miss it.

It all clicks in my brain.

They're stopping the rain because that's our source of water! I have enough to last me today, but by tomorrow, I'll be thirsty. This is the Gamemakers' way of dragging us into the finale.

Yep, tomorrow will definitely be the last day.

This thought scares me a bit, but I try to get it out of my head.

I doze off again, comforted by the thought that I will survive for a while. The feast will start soon.

Stella Canary (15) from District 12's POV

I stand at the edge of the forest, waiting. I am behind a tree, not daring to move because I know that there are tributes all around me, doing the same thing. The feast is about to start. I know this because I can just see the sun rising over the Cornucopia in the distance.

They stopped the raining this morning. That just made me more confident about my decision of going to the feast. The Games will be over soon, I can tell.

I decided to come to the feast because I didn't have any supplies other than a knife. I brought that knife with me, the same knife that killed the boy from District One. I plan to use it if I need to.

I don't really have any supplies because Leo didn't have anything, not even weapons or water or anything. The boy from District One just kind of appeared out of nowhere, and he didn't have any supplies with him other than the spear he used to kill Leo.

I didn't take the spear because I don't think I could bear using it or washing Leo's blood off of it. I'm useless with a spear anyway.

My plan is to just run when the feast starts. I'm fast, and I know I need to be the first one there. That way, I can escape all of the action and just grab what I need so I can leave and be safe.

I am just thinking this when the table shoots out of the ground right in front of the Cornucopia.

There are five backpacks there; a big red backpack labeled with a number 2, a small-ish orange backpack with a number 4 on it, a medium-sized yellow backpack with a number 8, a medium-sized green backpack with a number 11 label on it, and a small blue backpack labeled with the number 12.

That backpack is mine.

And I start sprinting.

I reach the table before anyone else. Without hesitating, I grab the blue backpack, turn around, and run back to the forest. Out of the corner of my eye, I can see the boy from District Eleven running out from the ruined city, and the girl from District Eight coming out of the other side of the forest. I keep running until I can run no more, until I find a tree that I can climb up and be hidden from any tributes that come for me.

I am safe.

Denver Roots (18) from District 11's POV

The girl from District Twelve got to the table first. I'm mad it wasn't me. At least she didn't take anyone else's pack. I can still get mine.

The girl (I think her name is Stella) is gone, and her appearance scared me a bit. I know I can't wait any longer. I start to run, my eyes set on nothing but the green backpack with the black number eleven running across it. I know I can get it.

I can see the girl from District Eight, the redhead, running to the table at the same time as me. I reach it first, grabbing the green backpack and slinging it over my shoulder. I grab a sword and whip around, preparing to fight the District Eight girl.

She has just grabbed her backpack and is turning around. I'm about to slash my sword when she drops to the ground. That's when I see the arrow in her back, and I see both tributes from District Two running to the Cornucopia from the edge of the jungle.

The girl from District Two, the one with the bow and arrows, is looking at the District Eight girl in a weird way. Being a Career and all, you'd think she'd be grinning, but she's not.

She almost looks regretful.

This shocks me a bit, so I am barely turning around to run when I feel the awful pain in my leg.

Then I see the knife sticking out. Without thinking, I yank it out and I know that the boy from District Two must have thrown it.

The pain is awful. I know that I can't get up and run away again.

The girl from District Two walks over to us, grabs the green pack out of my hands, and grabs the yellow pack from the girl from District Eight (who, for some reason, isn't dead yet).

The boy from District Two grabs the red backpack with a 2 on it and the orange backpack with a 4 on it and tosses them into the Cornucopia. The girl does the same with the yellow and green packs. They run off into the forest with their weapons, maybe to try to catch the girl from District Twelve who went there.

I guess they figure that I'm as good as dead, and the same with the District Eight girl.

They're wrong. I can crawl back to the city.

Raven Silk (16) from District 8's POV

This is the end.

I always had some crazy hope that maybe I would survive, and maybe I would win. I didn't actually think so, but the hope was always there.

Now it's gone.

I know I will die, and I knew that I probably would die in the arena, but I wanted to die a noble death. I wanted to die trying.

And after all, I am Raven Silk. And Raven Silk doesn't give up.

Somewhere in my pain-numbed mind, I form a plan.

Hands shaking, I grab a spear from where I attached it to my belt.

With all the strength I have (which is not much, considering the physical state I'm currently in), I push myself up.

It brings me excruciating pain, and I almost fall right back down again. But I force myself to stay up, because I know I can do this.

The boy from District Eleven is slowly starting to crawl back to the direction that he came from. He isn't dead. He probably won't die.

Which is where my plan comes in.

Each step is a battle, a battle that brings much pain. But somehow I win each one, and before I know it, I have reached my destination.

I take my spear.

I raise my right arm, the one that's holding the spear.

And I bring it down.

The spear goes through the boy's back and out through is stomach.

He makes a sound, something in between a groan and a scream.

I fall to the ground, in shock and disgust. I just did that. I can't believe it.

Boom. That's the boy's cannon. He is dead. I actually killed him.

Spots begin to appear in my line of vision, and I know I'm done.

I never gave up.

And wasn't that my goal from the beginning?

Somewhere in my state of dying and pain and craziness, I smile.

And then…

The

World

Goes

Black.

Boom.

Dallas Woods (18) from District 2's POV

Two cannons just went off. I know that it's the girl from District Eight and the boy from District Eleven. I killed the boy and Alicia killed the girl.

I hold my hand up for Alicia to high-five, and she slaps it half-heartedly.

Why isn't she excited? After all, we're in the final four.

What?

The thought hits me like a brick.

_We're in the final four._

_I am in the final four of the 127__th__ Hunger Games. I did it. I did it._

"Alicia!" I exclaim.

"What?" she says, annoyed.

"We're in the final four!" I say excitedly.

She gives me a small smile. "Yeah, I knew that."

Somehow, I can't seem to get the grin off my face. I'm picturing myself with the Victor's crown on my head at the post-Games interview with Evan, and the Capitol loves me. I will live the life I always dreamed of, a life of luxury and victory.

I am torn out of my vision when Alicia speaks.

"We should probably head back to the Cornucopia," she says.

"Why?" I say.

"So we can get ready. The finale will be tomorrow and one of us is going to be the Victor."

"Okay," I say. I don't have to get any more kills today. I'll get them tomorrow.

We start walking back, out of the forest and to where our camp is set up.

By the time we get there, the hovercraft has come and taken the two bodies. All that remains are some spots of blood on the ground.

We get our weapons ready.

The faces are shown in the sky. There's the girl from District Eight, the one that Alicia killed. There's the boy from District Eleven, the one that I killed. And, finally, the girl from District Eleven is shown. She's the twelve-year-old, who must have died last night.

It all ends tomorrow.

**Raven Silk (16) from District 8 - shot by Alicia's arrow**Raven was always one of my personal favorites. Her mindset and outlook on life was amazing. I loved her interview. I never had her as my Victor, but I always knew she had to die like this - without giving up. Raven (and her red hair) will definitely be missed.

**Denver Roots (18) from District 11 - speared by Raven **I was very excited to write this death. I never liked Denver. I don't know why. I tried to make myself like him (readers liked him for some reason) by giving him allies and a little sister... but I knew that he had to die. I mean, he killed his district partner. And after you do that, well... good riddance.

**Placings**

**24th: Celeste Rodriguez**

**23rd: McKayla Carr**

**22nd: Hayden Fields**

**21st: Arielle Scales**

**20th: Phoenix Thread**

**19th: Aidan Sprint**

**18th: Austin Stocker**

**17th: Jade Scorpion**

**16th: Hunter Albert**

**15th: Willow Farmer**

**14th: Poppy Light**

**13th: Amethyst Diamond**

**12th: Hazel Almond**

**11th: Graham Axel**

**10th: Bennett Switch**

**9th: Jamal Gold**

**8th: Leo Green**

**7th: Lilac Rosen**

**6th: Denver Roots**

**Remaining Tributes/Alliances/Locations**

**Alicia/Dallas: By the Cornucopia**

**Jaymes: Forest**

**Stella: Forest**

**Kill List**

**Dallas: McKayla, Aidan, Willow, Amethyst, Graham**

**Alicia: Jade, Hunter, Hazel, Raven**

**Jamal: Arielle, Leo**

**Denver: Austin, Lilac**

**Celeste: Herself**

**Amethyst: Hayden**

**Jaymes: Phoenix**

**Stella: Jamal**

**Raven: Denver**

**Okay! The next chapter isn't the finale, unfortunately, because I'm splitting the last day into two parts. But there will be two deaths the next chapter. Wow! I can't believe we're at the final four.**

**Remember to read, review, follow, favorite, and vote in the poll as to who you ****_think_**** will be the final two.**

**One last thing - earlier, I talked about maybe doing an SYOT for my next story. I've decided to go for it. When I post the next chapter, I'll be posting the preview of the story and the form to submit. Please tell your friends so we can get the story started as soon as possible!**

**Thanks!**

**XOXO**

**-Ashley**


	26. Chapter 26 - Day 11, Part 1

**Today is a big day for me! I'm updating this early ****_and_**** I just started my SYOT (the 128th Hunger Games)! Find it and submit!**

Chapter 26

Dallas Woods (18) from District 2's POV

For the first time during these Games, I'm nervous. I hate to admit it, but I've had butterflies in my stomach ever since I woke up this morning.

There are only four people left. Three will die today. One will live.

I am determined for that person to be me.

Alicia and I wake up early, way before when the rain would be. The battle could begin any minute. There's no doubt that Jaymes and the girl from District Twelve will come here, to the Cornucopia, to fight, because they're probably out of water. The rain has stopped as of yesterday, and the Cornucopia is the only place where water is available.

Alicia has the same look on her face as I do. We both have a look of grim determination in our eyes. I'm scared that us two will be the final two. I'm not worried what would happen if that were to occur, I know I'd win, but I don't want to kill Alicia. Throughout this experience, she has become my friend. I haven't had many good friends in my life – I've always been too focused on training.

Alicia is probably the best friend I've ever had.

I would kill her, I know I would, but that would be the only kill I would regret later on. I don't want to kill my district partner.

_Stop worrying,_ I tell myself. _You and Alicia probably won't even be the final two. She might not make it that far. She'll probably place third or something._

But do I really want that? Do I want her to die before the final two?

Gosh, the Hunger Games messes with your mind.

Alicia and I sit there in silence. There's not much to say at this point.

We wait until the point where the rain would already be over. Then we grab our weapons. I take two swords and attach a couple knives to my belt. Alicia takes her bow and a sheath of arrows.

I don't know what makes me say this, but I suggest, "Maybe you should take a knife, too? Because you can't really use a bow in hand-to-hand combat."

She looks at me for a second, confused, and then nods. She takes a knife from the pile and slides it under her belt. "Thanks," she says.

We then start walking out from the Cornucopia. We discussed this plan last night. I would guard the left side, by the jungle, forest, and part of the desert. Alicia is on the right side, covering the other half of the desert, the meadow, and the ruined city.

Before we walk out and assume our positions, I stop her. "Alicia?"

She looks back at me. "Yeah?"

I clear my throat. "Good luck."

Alicia smiles, a small smile, but deep down I know it's genuine. "Thanks."

We both turn around. And then she says to me quietly, "Dallas?"

I turn around to face her again.

"Good luck to you, too," Alicia says.

She looks as if she wants to say something else, but then she loses her expression. As I'm about to turn around again, I hear, "And thank you."

I must have given her a strange look, because Alicia says again, "Thank you. For everything you've done for me."

I nod, conveying the message back to her.

There's nothing else that needs to be said.

We finally emerge from the Cornucopia and we slowly walk to our places.

I frantically look around the whole area I'm covering, over and over again until I'm dizzy. Alicia is doing the same, maybe a hundred yards away from me.

I take a deep breath. I don't dare to close my eyes for more than a short blink because the attack could come at any moment.

We wait, for maybe a half hour in silence. I'm getting impatient.

That's when I hear it. There's a rustling in the forest.

My heart starts beating rapidly, and my eyes widen. My palms start to sweat and I quickly rub them on my pants. I can't be nervous. I need to be confident that I can win. If I'm not confident in myself, I won't win the Hunger Games. I need to be confident.

I slowly take a knife out of my pocket and make sure my swords are near me in case I need to fight. I stand, poised to throw.

Who will it be? Jaymes or the girl from District Twelve?

I look towards the direction of the rustling. My eyes focus on a tree maybe thirty yards away. I can just barely make out a beautiful, skinny girl with long dark hair and ice blue eyes coming out from behind the tree before she's running towards me.

She has a knife. And she's coming at me with it.

Stella Canary (15) from District 12's POV

I can't turn back now. I need to face the situation without fear.

The boy from District Two stands before me, knife in hand, same as me. He gives me a glare and raises his arm up. I do the same.

And we both throw at the same time.

I throw that knife for Leo and my mother and my friends and the boy I killed. But most of all, I throw that knife for me, because I deserve it.

I've never whipped that knife as hard as that before.

Everything seems to happen in slow motion. And in a matter of maybe three or four seconds, seven things happen.

1) I throw my knife.

2) The boy from District Two throws his knife.

3) The girl from District Two starts running towards us.

4) I try to dodge the knife but I'm frozen.

5) My knife hits the boy from District Two in the head.

6) The boy from District Two's knife hits me in the heart.

7) The boy from District Two collapses to the ground.

I fall. It feels like I'm falling from the top of a building. I'm only falling to the ground, but it seems to last forever. Never ending.

I begin to see spots in my vision immediately, and I know that there's no chance of me surviving now.

The girl from District Two, the boy's district partner, runs over to him and kneels on the ground next to where he is.

I think she's crying.

My vision and mind may be messed up, but my hearing isn't affected. I think I can hear the girl crying and the boy trying to talk, which he's kind of failing at since he has a knife in his head. I think he's trying to say, "Win for me," because the girl nods and starts crying harder. "Dallas," she says. That must be the boy's name.

She doesn't come over to finish me off. I guess she knows that I'm as good as dead.

Boom.

I hear a cannon. It must be for the boy because I know I'm not dead yet.

The girl screams and flings herself across Dallas' body, sobbing.

"No, no, no," she's moaning, over and over again. "Please! Please!"

Doesn't she know that Dallas is already dead? Doesn't she know that no matter how hard she tries, he's not going to come back to life?

I almost feel sorry for her.

The spots are getting bigger. I am almost blacked out completely.

I'm scared. I'm scared to die.

I don't want to die.

Please.

I can barely see a shape that looks exactly like the boy from District Four, Jaymes, emerging from the forest where I came from.

The girl is still by Dallas' body. She doesn't see Jaymes yet.

I see darkness.

I hear the girl from District Two's sobs, on and on forever.

I feel the cool breeze washing over me, almost comforting me.

I feel the numb pain in my chest where my heart would be. It's probably all messed up now because that's where the knife hit me.

My heart must be damaged, because:

I don't feel anything anymore.

I don't hear sobs anymore. All I hear is staggered breathing.

Is that me, breathing?

This is the end. I know it.

I'm sorry, Leo. I broke my promise. I didn't win for you like I said I would.

I broke my promise.

I'm sorry.

Boom.

**Dallas Woods (18) from District 2 - hit in the head by Stella's knife**I probably made Dallas softer than I should have, but whatever. I liked him a lot. But I always had him dying. :( He had the most kills in the Games, and he was the biggest threat. R.I.P.

**Stella Canary (15) from District 12 - hit in the heart by Dallas' knife**STELLA! I literally cried while writing Stella's death because she was one of my favorite tributes. Probably my favorite. There were so many times where I considered Stella as my victor, but I knew I couldn't do it because I'd get so much crap for making it like the 74th Games, and that District 12 never won, blah blah blah. But I loved Stella anyway. She will always be the canary in the coal mine.

**Placings**

**24th: Celeste Rodriguez**

**23rd: McKayla Carr**

**22nd: Hayden Fields**

**21st: Arielle Scales**

**20th: Phoenix Thread**

**19th: Aidan Sprint**

**18th: Austin Stocker**

**17th: Jade Scorpion**

**16th: Hunter Albert**

**15th: Willow Farmer**

**14th: Poppy Light**

**13th: Amethyst Diamond**

**12th: Hazel Almond**

**11th: Graham Axel**

**10th: Bennett Switch**

**9th: Jamal Gold**

**8th: Leo Green**

**7th: Lilac Rosen**

**6th: Denver Roots**

**5th: Raven Silk**

**4th: Dallas Woods**

**3rd: Stella Canary**

**Remaining Tributes**

**Alicia**

**Jaymes**

**Kill List**

**Dallas: McKayla, Aidan, Willow, Amethyst, Graham, Stella**

**Alicia: Jade, Hunter, Hazel, Raven**

**Jamal: Arielle, Leo**

**Denver: Austin, Lilac**

**Stella: Jamal, Dallas**

**Celeste: Herself**

**Amethyst: Hayden**

**Jaymes: Phoenix**

**Raven: Denver**

**There you have it! Next chapter is the finale! Please review! And PLEASEPLEASEPLEASE look at my SYOT and at least consider submitting! Thanks so much!**

**-Ashley**


	27. Chapter 27 - Day 11, Part 2 (Finale)

**Here we are! THE FINALE! I hope you guys are all satisfied with what happens :) This chapter is shorter than usual, but I felt like it covered everything that happened.**

Chapter 27

Alicia Swords (17) from District 2's POV

I can't believe it. Dallas is gone. He's gone forever. He was my best friend in these Games, and he was my rock. And he's gone.

I miss him already. Even though he was a ruthless killer, he turned out to be a real friend. He didn't stab me in the back like I thought he would, but he stuck by my side until the end. He was real.

Before he was gone from the world forever, he managed to get a couple words out to me. "Win for me," he said. And I will.

I will win. I will win for Dallas.

Even though I'm only weeping over his body for a couple seconds, it feels like it's been hours. It feels like it's been days. It feels like a lifetime.

Somewhere in my brain, it occurs to me that I'm in the final two.

I'm in the final two with Jaymes.

The last person I would want to be in the final two with. Well, other than Dallas.

Other than Dallas, Jaymes is still my best friend in this arena. Even though he ditched us and ran away. I still consider him my friend.

Can I kill him? I don't know. That would be the only kill I have made so far that would make any impact on me whatsoever.

I might even end up regretting it.

I know that I can win. The second Jaymes shows up, I can shoot him and within minutes I can be transported to the Capitol, complete with a life of riches and luxury and extreme fame.

But do I want that?

I don't know.

Either way, I stay by Dallas' body. My sobs are quieting. His cannon has already gone off. I'm coming to the realization that he is, in fact, dead. And now I know that there is nothing I can do about it.

The girl from District Twelve's cannon has just gone off, too.

I look at her body. She was a beautiful girl, with tan skin and silky dark hair similar to mine. She didn't look like anyone from District Twelve. No one there had dark hair and blue eyes. I remember that her eyes were brilliant, an electric light blue color.

But her eyes are closed now, and I must move on. She doesn't matter anymore.

I hear a voice. I gasp.

"Alicia," the voice says.

I whip around, still kneeling on the ground by Dallas' body. My bow and sheath of arrows is on the ground. Jaymes is standing before me. Nice job, Alicia. Way to be prepared for the fight.

"Jaymes," I croak out. I clear my throat so I can talk more clearly.

"Pick up your bow and arrows," he says. "I want a fair fight. I don't want to win by running up and stabbing you in the back while you mourn over your friend. Which I could have easily done."

This is why I always liked Jaymes. He is so selfless. And he wants to win for the right reasons. I remember him talking about his sisters. And if he wants to win, he wants to win fairly, because he wants to feel like he deserves it. It is going to be hard to kill Jaymes.

Still in shock, without saying a word, I pick up my weapon and slowly stand up to face him.

I load my bow and aim it.

He is holding his trident. He brings his arm back, preparing to throw.

Both of us are frozen still, not knowing what to do.

I don't know what to do.

Jaymes Current (18) from District 4's POV

I stand still, poised to throw my trident at Alicia.

She stands still, poised to shoot the arrow at me.

We look at each other.

My light ocean-colored eyes meet her chocolate brown eyes.

If I throw this trident at her, I will win. But I don't know if I can do it.

We just stand there, looking at each other. Memories are swirling around in my brain, trying to help me to make a decision.

I can tell that she's doing the same thing.

I remember Alicia's smiling face as she introduced herself to me at the chariot ride. The friendly grin she gave me, unlike the cold stare that her district partner, Dallas, gave me at the same time.

I remember my hand and Alicia's hand slapping together as all of the Careers give each other high fives during training, supporting each other.

I remember Alicia's warm eyes giving me knowing looks during training, as Amethyst skips from the table to get Dallas some water.

I remember Alicia laughing with me as Amethyst is screaming at us about her muddy boots. I remember us pulling the prank. I remember the pure joy I was feeling at that moment.

I remember what happened just moments ago, when Alicia was sobbing over her friend's death. I saw her feel something for the first time.

And then I remember watching the recap of the reapings. I remember Alicia volunteering, and running up to the stage, with a look of sheer evil on her face.

I remember how hard Alicia ran to kill that girl from District Three at the bloodbath. I remember how happy she was after that.

I remember how quickly she volunteered to kill the boy from District Three when he was up in that tree, and how she had no regret about it.

I remember her and Dallas' reaction to killing the pair from District Seven. I remember her bloodthirsty smile and how she rejoiced afterward.

I look at Alicia right now. She looks me dead in the eye, and she looks as if she's going to actually shoot.

I remember looking down helplessly at Jamal's dead body.

I remember crying for the first time in years when Jamal's face was shown in the sky.

I remember what Jamal told me.

_I will be strong. I will be strong._

I remember home. I remember Josie and Jenna and Jaclyn and their smiling faces and how sad they were when I got reaped.

I need to go back to them.

_I will be strong. I will be strong._

And then I do something I thought I would never do.

I throw the trident.

I see the trident pierce Alicia's body. I see her fall to the ground from the force and pain. I see her bow and arrow slide out of her hands.

I run over to her, dropping the trident along the way there.

She looks at me, not with anger, not with sadness, but almost appreciation.

Alicia is going to a better place, where she can be with Dallas forever. She won't have to worry about the Hunger Games.

I whisper to Alicia, "I'm sorry."

And I am sorry.

Alicia closes her eyes.

The cannon goes off.

The trumpets begin to blare.

It's me.

I am the Victor.

I am the Victor of the 127th Annual Hunger Games.

I can't believe it.

I see three hovercrafts come, one at a time. One picks up Dallas' body. The second one collects the girl from District Twelve's body, the pretty girl. And the last one, finally, picks up Alicia's dead body. The trident is still embedded in her corpse when she is lifted up into the hovercraft.

I see a fourth hovercraft. I am confused until I realize that this hovercraft is for me.

Still in a numb daze, I climb the ladder that is shot down from the hovercraft.

Immediately, I am taken to a room where doctors start injecting me with stuff and fixing all of the "problems" that I have.

It's like the Remake Center all over again.

But I don't care.

All I can think is that I am the Victor.

I get to go home! I get to see my parents and the twins and Jaclyn again. I will always be able to feed them and protect them forever.

I am going home.

**Alicia Swords (17) from District 2 - speared by Jaymes' trident **Originally, I never had Alicia making it this far. I had her as just another annoying, bloodthirsty Career. But as the story progressed, she became more of a character and less of a pawn and she actually became one of my favorites along the way. It pained me to write her death, but it had to happen.

**Placings**

**24th: Celeste Rodriguez**

**23rd: McKayla Carr**

**22nd: Hayden Fields**

**21st: Arielle Scales**

**20th: Phoenix Thread**

**19th: Aidan Sprint**

**18th: Austin Stocker**

**17th: Jade Scorpion**

**16th: Hunter Albert**

**15th: Willow Farmer**

**14th: Poppy Light**

**13th: Amethyst Diamond**

**12th: Hazel Almond**

**11th: Graham Axel**

**10th: Bennett Switch**

**9th: Jamal Gold**

**8th: Leo Green**

**7th: Lilac Rosen**

**6th: Denver Roots**

**5th: Raven Silk**

**4th: Dallas Woods**

**3rd: Stella Canary**

**2nd: Alicia Swords**

_**VICTOR: JAYMES CURRENT**_

**Remaining Tributes**

**Jaymes**

**Kill List**

**Dallas: McKayla, Aidan, Willow, Amethyst, Graham, Stella**

**Alicia: Jade, Hunter, Hazel, Raven**

**Jamal: Arielle, Leo**

**Denver: Austin, Lilac**

**Stella: Jamal, Dallas**

**Jaymes: Phoenix, Alicia**

**Celeste: Herself**

**Amethyst: Hayden**

**Raven: Denver**

**So that's it! I'll post the post-Games interview and victory tour soon!**

**In the meantime, come submit tributes for my SYOT (the 128th Hunger Games). There are still plenty of spots left!**

**Thanks and I hope you liked this chapter!**

**Ashley**


	28. Chapter 28 - Post-Games Interview

**I'm sorry I haven't updated in a while. I've been busy with my SYOT and everything, and I've been feeling some kind of writer's block for Jaymes for some reason. But I found him today, and I wrote this.**

Chapter 28

Jaymes Current (Victor)'s POV

I breathe in and breathe out. I wipe my ever-sweaty palms on my fancy dress pants - I don't care if they get ruined.

I shouldn't be nervous. Why am I nervous? I just survived the 127th Hunger Games and I'm nervous about a stupid interview.

I'm wearing a light blue button-down shirt ("It looks good with your tan and matches your eyes," my prep team explained excitedly) and a black tie, which matches my black pants.

The only good thing about this interview is that after it, I finally get to go home. I am so excited to see my family. Even though I've only been away from them for a couple weeks, it feels like I was away from them for a whole lifetime. It's been awful.

I get to go home! The thought makes me smile and start bouncing on the balls of my feet in excitement. I miss my family, but I also miss the sound of crashing waves waking me up and the fresh, salty smell of the air comforting me all the time.

I have been waiting in the wings of the Capitol stage for what seems like forever. I guess I must be going on soon, because my mentors Ava and Charley come up to me and wish me luck for the millionth time. Maybe that's what's making me so nervous.

I sigh, annoyed, when Ava comes up to me again. I think she's given me enough luck to survive this interview. Before I can tell her that I'm fine, she whispers in my ear, "Now, I'm no expert, but just don't say anything that you'll regret later on, okay?"

I must have given her a confused look, because then she asks, "You care about your family, right? About your best friend?"

"Of course," I say.

"That's my point. Life as a Victor isn't as relaxing as they make it out to be. You're now the Capitol's toy. You must do anything and everything they tell you to do, and if you step out of line at all…" Ava makes a slashing motion across her neck, miming someone's throat being slit. "Your friends and family… Gone."

I understand now, and I nod and take another deep breath. "I know you're the loyal type," Ava continues. "But I just wanted to warn you. You're one of the few good people left in this world, I'm pretty sure. I don't want you to change like some other Victors have." I nod again. "Alright, now this doesn't just apply to this interview. This applies to your entire life as a Victor. They're watching you. I don't care if you come from District One or District Twelve. They watch you no matter what. And like I said before, if you do even one little thing that suggests rebellion or anything bad _at all_, your whole life will be ruined."

I look up at Ava now, and I see a fierce, almost dangerous look in her eyes. They're a bright turquoise, a rare color even in District Four. I know that Ava isn't lying about this, and I know that she'll have my back and support me.

As if she's reading my mind, she says, "I'll be able to protect you and help you, but you're going to have to learn how to deal with it yourself."

"Okay," I say in a small voice. I sound like a scared child. She gives me a weak smile and walks over to Charley.

I know from being in the Capitol with Ava that she won the 122nd Hunger Games when she was sixteen, so she would be twenty-one now. She's been a Victor for five years. She's probably gotten used to it by now.

Do you ever get used to being a Victor? I don't know. It seems like it would be hard. All I've felt since leaving the arena is numbness and shock. It's weird because I thought that I would be an emotional wreck, but I can't feel anything. Ava says that's normal, though. She says the feeling part will come soon.

I am even more nervous for this interview now that I know how much is on the line for me. I really just don't want to think about what would happen if I messed something up for me.

And before I know it, I hear Evan Darling's booming voice saying, "Please welcome the Victor of the 127th Hunger Games… Jaymes Current from District Four!" and I'm walking up to the stage and there's that awful numb feeling again. I can't feel what I'm doing. It feels like someone else is in my body, controlling my movements. The only thing I'm aware of is my heart that is beating way more quickly than normal times.

"Now Jaymes, I know we're all looking forward to the interview," Evan says to me, "But before that, we're all going to watch the recap of your Games so you'll have it fresh in your mind!"

If that was supposed to comfort me, it _really _didn't work. At all.

I watch, with that numb shock again, the Cornucopia with all of the weapons. I watch Dallas kill without any hesitation. I watch Jamal's first kill and his reaction. Just seeing him on the screen bring tears to my eyes. I watch me kill the boy from District Eight. I learned that his name was Phoenix. I shudder, then immediately straighten myself out. I have to convince the audience that I am proud about killing that boy, that I enjoyed every second of it.

The film mostly focuses on the Careers, because that's where all of the action happened and that's also where I was. Once Jamal and I have left the Career pack, it focuses on us and Alicia and Dallas. I watch all of these deaths that I never knew about.

I try not to pay attention, but I try to look like I am paying attention, so in the end I just wind up plain confused about this whole thing.

I would never be able to be an actor. Because it is clear that I can't act.

After a couple of hours of stillness and numbness, I see myself throw the trident at Alicia. Alicia, who had just finished sobbing over Dallas' body. Alicia, who had showed that she was a real human being and that everyone breaks down. Alicia, who was broken.

She was broken by the Games, by loss and regret. She was broken by the Capitol, by their hunger for violence and innocent children's deaths. And all of the sudden, by watching this film, I can see that she realized that she was just a pawn for the Capitol. She realized that everyone was a pawn, everyone that was a tribute, everyone that died in these Games, and everyone in the districts is a pawn. Even the Capitolites are pawns.

And now I realize that I am a pawn too. And I will always be one.

And then the screen goes black and all I want to do is go to bed and lose myself to nightmares again. I want to curl up under the covers and be done with this. But this is what everyone has been waiting for, this interview that has been talked about nonstop in the Capitol and that has been dreaded by me.

We talk about the Games and Jamal and leaving Dallas and Alicia and my kills and the final battle and District Four and my mentors and, lastly, my family and how much they mean to me. It all seems to go by in a blur, me answering the questions honestly but thinking carefully, making sure not to say anything that I would want to take back later. It's a whirlwind.

And before I know it, President Duke is putting the crown on my head and I'm walking backstage and being escorted to my room and Ava is telling me that I did a good job and that I need a good night's sleep because I get to go back home tomorrow. And then I'm falling asleep and all I can think is, _it's over. It's over._

When I wake up the next day, I get dressed into a white collared shirt and khaki shorts because I don't need anything fancy to ride the train in. It feels great to be wearing non-Capitol designed clothes again. I feel as close as possible to feeling free.

I get on the train with Ava and Charley and Petunia, my escort, and it feels the same as it felt when we were going to the Capitol, but only this time, my district partner Arielle isn't here.

I sit in the compartment that I slept in on my way to the Capitol. Surprisingly enough, it doesn't bring me any flashbacks. I don't question it, though, because I am just grateful. I've had the worst nightmares ever since I returned to the Capitol.

Ava, Charley, and Petunia don't try to come in to talk to me, and I don't go to try to talk to them. I want to be alone right now.

Then, Petunia comes in, telling me, "We're here! We're here!" and for some crazy reason that I don't know, I jump up from where I was sitting on the bed, and I run to the door and I look out the windows and I see my home. I see the ocean and the beach and all of the people. And for once, all of the people are gathered together and they're smiling and cheering and I can't help but feel good about myself because I know that I am the reason for this.

And I look out into the sea of people and I see the twins and their little blonde braids bouncing as they jump up and down. I see my parents, tears streaming down their faces as they look up at me and smile with pride. And I see Jaclyn, who has pushed her way to the front of the crowd, who is screaming and waving. And suddenly I don't care about doing something wrong. Suddenly I forget about all that I've been through. And I know that I am home.

And for the first time in a long time, I feel again.

**Yay! I just wanted to let you know that this is the last I'll be writing in Jaymes' POV. The next chapter is the Victory Tour, but that will be in someone else's POV. Can you guess who it is? Hint: They've already been in this story at some point.**

**Secondly, I am not saying this to be offensive, I'm just explaining one of the reasons I had Jaymes win. I've read so many fanfics where there was a special twist to the Games and the underdog beat the biggest Career tribute in a fight. And yes, those are interesting to read, but not every year was a Quarter Quell and the 13-year-old from District 11 didn't win every year. Most years, a Career tribute like Jaymes won. I was trying to portray a normal year of the Games rather than a super-special one. Again, I'm not trying to be offensive to those stories; they're great, but I was doing something different.**

**Hope you all check out my SYOT! It's closed now, but I'm starting to work on the reapings and I will start posting soon! Thanks!**

**Ashley**


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